A Test of Metal - Book I: Legacies
by Ominous442
Summary: Legacies are hard to ignore. Whether you're trying to live up to them or outrun them. The newest Avatar, Korra, has a lot to live up to following the historic acts of her predecessor. Meanwhile, a young man can't decide if he should even care about his own.
1. Chapter 1: Return to Republic City

Chapter 1: Return to Republic City

_Earth, Fire, Air, Water…Only the Avatar, Master of All Four Elements, can bring balance to the world. Almost 2 centuries ago, the Fire Nation began a war of global conquest, and the Avatar disappeared. After nearly 100 years of constant war and the annihilation of the Air Nomads, the Avatar finally returned. His name was Aang, and he was the last airbender. In less than a year, he and his Team Avatar brought this century-long war to a swift end, and with that, a legend was born._

_Afterwards, Aang spent decades rebuilding the war-ravaged world and resurrecting the Air Nation. With that in mind, he and the newly-crowned Fire Lord Zuko built a new nation from the former Fire Nation Colonies. This United Republic of Nations was meant to be a symbol of peace and an example to the rest of the world, a place where all people from around the world could come together and share in their ideas and customs. However, time moves forward for all, not all dreams can be realized in one lifetime, and the era of Aang and his friends is over. It is up to the new generation and the next Avatar to try to bring about peace and the world that Aang envisioned…_

* * *

The waters around the Southern Water Tribe were always cold. A young man wrapped his dark orange scarf around his neck a little tighter. He was reading a newspaper as he sat on the deck of a Water Tribe ferry bound for Republic City, the capital of the United Republic of Nations. The front page had a picture of a group of criminals tied up in front of a tall, bearded man, wearing a maroon-colored overcoat, with his arms crossed over his chest. However, despite his semi-serious posture this man had a huge, and almost contagious, grin on his face. The headline for the article read, "United Forces Commander Bumi Outfoxes Pirates in Southern Waters".

Although, the ferry that the young man sat on was Water Tribe in affiliation, it was clearly of Fire Nation design. Made from rough, heavy metal and billowing thick black smoke, the ship was most likely purchased shortly after the end of the Hundred Year War. The 18 year-old scanned the deck of the ship looking at the each of the other passengers.

It was a small ship, so there was only himself, a Water Tribe family with a mom, dad, and 2 girls, an elderly man who was the captain of this ferry, and group of 3 men all huddled together. The three of them were forced to share a blanket between them. He chuckled to himself, tugging on his dark brown winter jacket. They must not have come prepared for the arctic climate. He then turned his pale green eyes to the east, looking at a United Republic battleship heading back to its patrol after stopping off at the Southern Water Tribe.

"I hear that's Commander Bumi's personal battleship," said the ferry captain, "He's supposed to be some sort of mad genius when it comes to strategy. and his charisma is supposed to be so enthralling that he can lead his men headfirst into an obvious death, only to come out the other end smelling like roses."

"He-he. Yeah, you could say that again," the young man replied while casually running a hand through his unkempt, dark hair.

"Oh? Do you know Commander Bumi or something?"

"You could say I'm familiar with his work," he said, smiling fondly.

"Uh-huh. By the way, I don't think I caught your name," the captain inquired while rubbing his chin.

The young man smiled a lopsided grin. The captain just now noticing the small faded scar on the left side of his upper lip. "The name's Ketu. Republic City born and raised," he said jovially while pointing his thumb at his chest, clearly happy to be returning home.

The old captain scratched his balding head like he was trying to remember something mildly important. "Ketu…Ketu…Why does that name sound so fami-"

"IT WAS YOU!"

A shout sounded from the other end of the deck. One of the men sharing the blanket burst to his feet, pointing an accusatory finger at Ketu. The other 2 immediately jumped up and, without any warning, started to waterbend ice spikes towards him.

Ketu seemed completely unfazed by the surprise attack as he kept a neutral expression despite the situation. He dodged the incoming assault, expertly bobbing and weaving through the storm of ice shards. He quickly closed the distance between himself and his attackers with almost unnatural agility and speed.

Ketu moved in on the first waterbender and delivered a hard punch to his gut, causing him to double over onto his hands and knees. Not wanting to get hit while his back was turned, Ketu turned towards the second waterbender, who was just out of arm's reach, unwrapped his scarf from his neck and whipped the second attacker across the face with it.

The blow seemed to hit with more force than a simple cloth scarf should have, knocking the aggressor off his feet and hard onto his back. Then Ketu spun back and delivered a hard overhead kick to the back of the head of his first target, driving his face into the hard, metal deck and knocking him unconscious. All the while, Ketu casually wrapped his scarf back around his neck as he did so.

All of a sudden, a high-pitched squeal cut through the air. Everyone turned to see the man who first yelled holding a dagger on a little girl from the Water Tribe family. The captain and the girl's family were apparently too distracted by the attacking benders to notice as the third man crossed the ship during the initial attack and snuck behind his victim. "All right. That'll be enough of that, I think," he said, smugly as he inched the blade closer to the young girl's neck. The young girl was starting to tear up now, but too terrified to make a noise.

In response, Ketu raised his left arm, palm facing up. He really hated cowards like this guy. "Wow, you really are an idiot, aren't you?" Ketu asked, almost nonchalantly, as he glared at the villain, any of his previous humor gone now, "You know who I am and still decided to try something like this?" Ketu then flicked his ring finger back.

"What are you-?" the man with the knife began to ask when suddenly his weapon was ripped from his grasp and began to float in the air. Ketu clenched his fist and swung his arm around, the blade mirroring his movements. The dagger flipped around and hit the last assailant square in his temple with its hard pommel, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. With the threat now gone, the young girl rushed back into the arms of her parents.

"You're a metalbender?!" the ferry captain exclaimed in surprise. With the Ketu's jacket now open, the captain could see the metal armor the young man was wearing on his arms and legs, as well as two spools of cable strapped to his hips.

And as the sudden and tense situation seemed to have been resolved, realization seemed to dawn on old man. "Wait a second. You're him! That big-name lieutenant with the United Forces, Bumi's righthand man: Ketu the Sonar. You just took down all 3 of those guys in like 15 seconds!"

Ketu turned and smirked up at the old man. "Not quite," he said.

He then thrusted his right arm forward, a metal cable shooting out from one of the spools on his hips. The cable snaked over the edge of the boat, and an undignified scream came from where the cable disappeared to. Ketu then spun and whipped a fourth man up from over the edge of the ferry and dropped him none too gently onto the group of attackers. He and the others groaned in apparent pain.

Ketu then opened up his jacket and shot out several circular metal bands from inside his coat and used his metalbending to restrain all 4 of the men and then linked them together just to be safe. And not just because it would make the ride extremely uncomfortable; no sir.

"Now I took care of all the bad guys," Ketu confirmed, "Also, it's not Lieutenant anymore. I've resigned from the Republic military. I left from Bumi's battleship back at the Southern Water Tribe, so I could catch a ride on this ferry to take me back home."

"Okay," the captain said. He and the other passengers seemed to finally start to calm down now that the situation had apparently been dealt with. "But why did these guys try to attack you?"

"I have my suspicions," Ketu said as he walked toward one of the men in question. He reached down and ripped the sleeve off the man's shirt, revealing a tattoo of a blue sea raven. "Just as I thought. The Neo-Southern Raiders. Most of them are criminals, banished from the Southern Water Tribe."

"They use old Fire Navy ships from the War to attack traders and merchants on their way to the South Pole as some sort of revenge for their exile," Ketu explained. "They're from that last band of pirates Commander Bumi and I took down just before I left the United Forces. These 4 are probably stragglers that we missed. I bet they thought they could take me 4-on-1 now that I'm not with the military anymore."

"No, we aren't stragglers," one of the pirates suddenly said. He seemed to be sporting a pretty impressive welt on his face from where Ketu smacked him with his scarf. "We were on a scouting run when you attacked our ships and captured our crew. We did everything right. We disguised our ships as freighters and hid all our weapons and most wanted crewmen in smuggling compartments no one should have been able to find. No one _except you_."

"We have nothing left now, thanks to _you_," the pirate said with his voice now taking on a distinct edge. "I know who you are. You're nothing but worthless piece of garbage whose own father didn't even-" He was interrupted as the blanket they were all using was suddenly shoved into his mouth. It was followed by a swift kick to the side of his head, sending it bouncing off the metal deck of the ship, knocking him unconscious.

"No one asked you, filthy pirate," Ketu said. Then he summoned the pirates' dagger to him from its position where it had landed on the other side of the ship. The dagger then began to spin wildly in the air above Ketu's fist like a buzz-saw. "So, anyone else feel like sharing their opinion of me?" he asked.

The other three quickly shook their heads.

* * *

Ketu was sitting in a meditative stance at the bow of the ship. He was focusing his senses throughout the ferry, trying to pick up even the most minute details. Currently, he was attempting monitor the heartbeats of the 4 pirates on the other end of the ferry. This was a common practice he did when he was emotionally unbalanced. Ketu seemed to have been greatly affected by what that pirate had said to him.

He was taught from an early age that meditation would give him greater focus and allow him to become more spiritually attuned. He wasn't so sure about the spiritual side of meditation, but it did help him to calm down when he was worked up like this. As a byproduct, Ketu found out that by using meditation, he could greatly increase the range and clarity of his Seismic Sensing.

"Land Ho!"

Everyone turned to the front of the vessel, and sure enough, they could see the vast skyline of Republic City. Ketu chuckled at the ferry captain, "He-heh. I didn't know anyone actually said that, Old Man," his good mood clearly having returned sometime over the journey.

"Of course they do," the old sailor replied. "How else would everyone be able to know we're about to reach our destination?"

"Umm…Couldn't you just say, 'We're about there,'?" Ketu asked.

"Ha-ha! You're funny, kid," the captain laughed as though he had just been told a great joke. "By the way, when those scoundrels attacked it seemed almost like you knew that it was coming. Why is that?"

"Well, that's because I basically did see it coming," Ketu replied. "I knew that fourth guy was hanging over the edge since before we left the Water Tribe. Most people don't hang onto the outside of a boat in arctic waters unless they have something planned."

"But how'd you know he was there?"

"The same way I know that, on the way here, 8 fish accidentally ran into the underside of the hull and the you picked up 3 extra barnacles near the stern," Ketu explained.

"Huh?"

"By using my earthbending, I can use even the smallest of vibrations to give me a sense of the world around me," he explained with an easy smile, "They didn't call me 'The Sonar' for nothin'."

"About that, why'd you leave the United Forces?" the captain asked, "I heard you were the youngest officer in history. Joined up when you were 13 and made Ensign by 15, well on your way to beating out Iroh as the youngest General of all time. You are supposed be some sort of rising star."

"Well, it's kind of a personal story," Ketu said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked then."

"No, it's okay," he assured the captain, "When I was younger, I was lost and lacking purpose. I'd spent my whole life in Republic City just going along with what everyone else decided for me. Doing what they wanted me to do without ever really asking if that was what I truly wanted. I was being pulled in a lot of different directions. However, one thing I did know that I always wanted to do was to help people like Avatar Aang, but I wasn't sure what the best way to go about it was. Finally one day, I decided that I needed to go out to see the world like Aang did.

"I figured that joining the United Forces would allow me to get out of the city while giving me the opportunity to help the rest of the world. My uncle pulled some strings, and I was allowed to join on as a Junior Cadet, even though I was barely a teenager. Now after 5 years of barely getting to see home, I decided that Republic City is where I'd be of the most use. Also, I'd get to see my family more, and that's always nice," Ketu finished up, smiling fondly at the thought.

Just then a low, deep rumbling sound came from above their heads. Everyone looked up and saw a large sky bison soaring in the direction that they had just come from. "That looks like Councilman Tenzin," the captain explained, "Rumor has it that he's heading to the South Pole to train the next Avatar in airbending."

"Huh, you don't say," Ketu replied, only seeming mildly interested. He did seem to recall his grandmother mentioning that the new Avatar was being trained at home with teachers being brought to her, rather than traveling the world like previous Avatars.

Ketu noticed they were finally coming up to the docks. He grabbed his bag, preparing to disembark. "Well, kid. You seem to have things figured out. That's not something most your age could say," the captain said, "Have you got a job lined up yet? If not, I could always use a deckhand who can handle himself in a scrape."

"Thanks for the offer, Old Man, but I've already got that handled," he replied with a smile. He then turned to the four prisoners and started hauling them to their collective feet and led them near to where the exit ramp would be lowered.

"Now don't you worry about them, son," the ferry captain said. "I'll get ahold of harbor security, and they'll make sure that those pirates make it to the Police Department." However, speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. Or, in this case, _she_ shall appear.

Standing at the pier, waiting for their arrival, was a grey-haired woman wearing the uniform of Republic City's metalbending police. She had a stern posture, and her steely, pale green eyes told all who looked upon her that she was not to be trifled with. This woman was Lin Beifong, daughter of the legendary Toph, and Republic City's current chief of police. What the ferry captain didn't know, however, was why she was waiting at his dock. He hadn't even been able to call in about the attack since his outdated ferry lacked a radio. She watched the approaching ferry as it came into dock; noticing the tied-up criminals being led by a young metalbender with an orange scarf.

"Well then," Lin said with a slightly-amused half smile, "It looks you're starting the job early, aren't you, _Officer_ Beifong?"

"Oh, you know me, Mom," Ketu said wearing similar smirk, "I always like to get a head-start on my work."


	2. Chapter 2: Road Rage

Chapter 2: Road Rage

A young woman sat in the stable beside a large white, four-legged creature. She had a darker complexion; common for those of the Water Tribe. The creature somewhat resembled a cross between a Labrador and a polar bear, easily at least 750 Kg. Looking forlorn, you could easily mistake this young woman for any ordinary teenager dealing with ordinary issues. However, this was no ordinary girl. She had trained since the age of 4 to be the world's greatest bender. Currently, a master of three of the four elements, this young woman was Avatar Korra.

She had just been informed that she would have to put off her airbending training. Tenzin, the son of the previous Avatar and the only Airbending Master in the world, had informed her that her training had to be put on hold due to issues that needed to be resolved in his home of Republic City. Korra had suggested that she go with him in order train and help with the conflict, like her duty as the Avatar required. However, she was told that it was too dangerous. Tenzin and the leaders of the Order of the White Lotus, a group dedicated to protecting the Avatar, ordered her to remain at the South Pole until he returned.

Korra had her arms wrapped around her knees when she opened her cyan-colored eyes. Great determination showing in them. She wiped a few strands of her dark brown hair out of her face and walked over to a saddle sitting to the side. At 5' 7", one wouldn't think this girl could lift a saddle meant for such large animal, however she apparently, had no issue with it.

"Alright Naga, it's time for me to quit sitting around and waiting for everyone to tell me I'm ready. It's time that I showed them," Korra said to the polar bear dog.

"Nice night for an escape, isn't it?" a voice sounded out from behind.

"Katara?" Korra said as she turned around. Katara was the wife of the previous Avatar and a Waterbending Master. She was the one who taught Korra everything she knew about waterbending. "I have to leave. I have to find my own path as the Avatar," Korra said with conviction.

"I know you do," Katara assured her, "Aang's time has passed. My brother and many of my friends are gone. It's time for you and your generation to take on the responsibility of keeping peace and balance in the world."

"Thank you," Korra said, grateful for Katara's understanding, as she walked up and hugged her mentor in farewell.

"Just remember, Korra. The Avatar is never alone," Katara explained, "Don't be afraid to rely on your friends for support. Although, you wield great power, you are still only human, and you can't do it all alone. Remember that, and I know you're going to be a great Avatar."

"I will," Korra replied as she climbed onto Naga, "Let's go Naga. This is the beginning of our first great adventure!"

* * *

Officer Beifong sighed. He had been in Republic City for a little over a month now and on the beat since his second day in the city. Needless to say, the job was a lot more boring than he expected, and it had a lot more paperwork too. After moving his few belongings from his mother's place into his new apartment, Ketu immediately wanted to get to work cleaning Republic City's streets of the Triads and those rogue chi-blockers calling themselves 'Equalizers,' or something.

Unfortunately, all he had done so far was patrol some low-risk areas like the park, business district, and some high-end shopping centers during the late morning/early afternoon, the safest part of the day. Apparently, this was common practice. It gave the 'rookies' a chance to get their feet wet before throwing them into the deep end.

The most exciting thing to report so far was a minor fender bender between a satomobile and a truck hauling a load of cabbages. The machines and drivers were both fine, however, the driver of the truck wouldn't stop lamenting his ruined cabbages that had spilled out onto the road during the accident. He kept insisting that Ketu needed to arrest the driver of the satomobile and demanded capital punishment. Only in Republic City.

Ketu wore the standard arm guards, leg guards, and cable shooters of the Metalbending Police Force, but not their chest armor or helmet since they weighed him down and restricted his movement. Instead, he wore the standard non-metalbender police jacket. And after a lot of begging and convincing, he managed to convince the Chief to let him wear his scarf with his uniform, but only so long as it was worn beneath his jacket.

Although he originally intended to rely on his metalbending to move around the city, Ketu was required to use the standard-issue police motorcycle. He was only allowed to use his bending while in pursuit of suspects and criminals. Apparently, it could cause a panic or something; people are so overdramatic sometimes. And unfortunately, he did have to wear a helmet while riding said motorcycle. There was no way out of that no matter how much he groveled to his mother. It was city law, not a department regulation.

It was about lunchtime, and Ketu was patrolling the area around the docks. His stomach grumbled in irritation. He had skipped breakfast this morning and settled for a pot of coffee.

Coffee was an odd concoction that he and Bumi came across on their travels near the Foggy Swamp. It was similar to tea but instead of leaves, it used the grinds of a certain type of dried out beans to flavor the water. No one on the battleship had liked its incredibly bitter taste initially. However, one day when the all their tea leaves went bad unexpectedly, everyone had to settle with drinking coffee for over a week. Even after their tea leaf stocks had been replenished, the crew found that they couldn't start their days right without a cup of the stuff. It was like some sort of insidious plot.

Ketu was getting ready to turn his motorcycle towards the direction of his favorite food stand when suddenly the dispatcher's voice came in over the radio, _"Attention all units. Attention all units. We're receiving reports from the area around the docks of a large, white creature on the loose. Last seen on the intersection of 7__th__ and Roku Drive, causing traffic interference as well as a collision. Any units in the area please respond."_

Groaning to himself, Officer Beifong picked up his transceiver. Lunch would have to wait. "This is Unit 4-4-2. responding. I'm en route to investigate," he replied.

"_Roger that. All units be aware: Sergeant Sonar is responding."_

He growled after hearing his 'nickname.' Unfortunately for Ketu, the news that he had brought in 4 pirates before his first day on the job and the fact that he was the Chief's son had spread like wildfire. This, as well as his former reputation as an officer with the United Forces, led to a whole mess of rumors and speculations. Apparently, the most popular theory was that Lin was grooming her son to be the next chief of police, in record time, and she had arranged for him to be on the ferry when the pirates attacked. That way he'd already have a nice feather in his cap right at the beginning of his career.

The rumors were obviously false; anyone who spent more than minute with Lin Beifong knew that no one, not even her own son, got a free ride in her department. Despite that, there was still a lot of frustration and resentment. Given his former epitaph and the idea that he was likely to soar through the ranks, many of the other officers, and now dispatchers apparently, had taken to referring to Ketu as "Sergeant Sonar."

Ketu turned down Roku Drive and followed the trail of frustrated drivers and pedestrians. There were several vehicles on the sidewalks and spun around in the wrong lanes. He found the collision that the dispatcher had mentioned. It was between a small green satomobile and a dark grey hauler truck. Luckily no one was hurt, and even more lucky, there were no cabbages involved this time. He sent word to dispatch to send in traffic officers to sort it out. He had to track down the creature that did this before any more damage was caused or someone got hurt.

After interviewing several of the witnesses, Ketu was informed that the creature had a rider, and they were last seen heading down Lotus Avenue, near the city park. As he was driving his motorcycle down Lotus Avenue, Ketu spotted the food stand where he normally bought his lunch. Not so normal were the large white, furry hindquarters and wagging tail that were sticking out of the side. Obviously, this was the animal he had been looking for.

Ketu parked his bike and approached the scene cautiously. He didn't want to spook the beast, and have it rampage again. Finding another quality food stand in this city that didn't charge an arm and a leg would be impossible, after all. Getting closer, he saw a beautiful, young woman about his own age approach the stall owner. She had an athletic build with dark, caramel-colored skin and was wearing Water Tribe clothes.

"We'll take one of everything, please," the Water Tribe girl requested as she picked up a kebab with several pieces of cooked meat on it.

The stall owner, an older woman with light brown hair, was obviously less-than-thrilled that there was currently a huge slobbering animal sticking its large head into her stall. The stall owner curtly replied, "That will be 20 yuans."

"Uh, I don't have any money," the owner of the beast awkwardly said.

Clearly frustrated with the whole situation, the older woman quickly yanked away the kebab and exclaimed, "Then what good are you to me?!"

In response, the Water Tribe girl merely hung her head and directed her beast out of the stall. With it finally out in the open, Ketu could clearly see that it was a polar bear dog, an animal native to the South Pole. That was surprising. He could vaguely recall that Commander Bumi once told him that polar bear dogs couldn't be domesticated.

"Don't worry girl," the young woman said, consoling her companion, "This city's huge. I bet we can find a place to rustle up something to eat."

* * *

Korra was pulling Naga away from the food stand they had just visited. In her rush to get started on her first great adventure, she only now realized that she forgot to bring any money along. Getting by in the city without any money would be difficult; she had assumed Tenzin would be able to take care of that after she met up with him.

She knew she had to feed Naga soon. Hopefully, there was a forest or stream nearby that they could forage in. She was about to climb onto Naga's back when a voice spoke up from the other side of the stall, "I'll cover their tab, and I'll take a lunch special myself, please."

Korra turned to thank the generous stranger but stopped when she saw that he was about her age. He was tall, easily at least 6', with a strong yet lean, athletic build. He was very handsome, and his pale green eyes seemed to be analyzing her. Feeling self-conscious, she looked away from his face and realized that he was wearing metal bracers on his arms and leg guards that covered his feet and went past his knees. Lastly, her eyes settled on the shiny golden badge that was on the left breast of his jacket.

"You're a police officer…and a metalbender," Korra said with amazement, finally noticing the spools of metal cable strapped to his back.

"Um, yeah," he said with half smile, clearly amused by her reaction. He then set 30 yuans on the counter as he waited for the food. "We'll take it to-go, please," he said.

"Oh," Korra began, suddenly remembering her manners. "Thank you for buying our lunch," she finished by bowing.

"Are you sure about that, Ketu?" the grouchy stall owner asked as she picked up the cash. She clearly knew the officer well. "Looks hungry enough to eat an ostrich horse," she said and then turned her attention to Naga, "That big dog does too."

"Hey!" Korra exclaimed in irritation.

The officer merely smiled. "I'm positive," he replied as the older woman handed him 3 bags of food and 5 yuans. "Thanks," he said, accepting the food. "You can keep the change. I'll see you tomorrow," he finished as he turned towards Korra with their lunch.

"Again, thank you so much," Korra said, accepting 2 of the bags.

"Happy to help. Why don't we eat in the park?" the officer suggested as he pointed behind him, "It's just around the block."

"Oh, sure," Korra replied. "Come on, Naga."

She and Naga followed their benefactor around the block and into the beautiful city park. The sight almost took her breath away. The park was huge with rolling hills covered in rich green grass, a rarity in the South Pole. The leaves on the trees were changing color in the autumn air, preparing for winter. She could see fish swimming in the crystal clear water of the slow moving stream. They walked along a stone path and over one of the many quaint, little bridges that stretched over the streams at various locations until they reached a small clearing beside the stream. The officer then used his earthbending to summon a circular slab about waist-high to use as a table and 2 small square stools to sit on.

* * *

Ketu was extremely happy that he finally got to have some lunch. He took a seat on one of his newly-constructed stools and decided to introduce himself, "By the way, if you didn't catch it before, my name is Ketu."

"Oh right, my name's Korra," the Water Tribe girl said as she rested her hand on the polar bear dog's head, "and this is my friend, Naga."

Ketu reached into his bag and pulled out several pieces of meat. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Naga," he said opening out his open palm to feed her. He did his best not to jump and yank his arm back as his whole hand, up to his wrist, was suddenly engulfed in the dog's huge mouth. To his surprise, however, he felt no teeth bite down on him as Naga slowly pulled her head back, taking the tasty treats with her but leaving his hand behind. Doing a quick finger-count, Ketu reached down and began to pet Naga on the head and down the back of her neck. "Aww, you're a good girl, aren't you, Naga?" he said as he attempted to wipe all the saliva off his hand and onto her fur.

Korra smiled at the scene as she sat down. "I guess this means Naga likes you," she said, noticing how Naga was starting to lean into Ketu's hand.

"Well, of course she does," Ketu said as he lowered his face in front of Naga's and started to scratch her ears, "She's just the _sweetest_, little puppy. Isn't that right?" In response, Naga opened her mouth and licked his entire face, causing the front of his normally untamable hair to stand straight up.

Korra doubled over in laughter upon seeing this. Upon hearing her mistress' amusement, Naga jumped to her feet and started to bark happily as well. After a good minute, Korra and Naga calmed down. "So," Korra began as she tried to strike up a conversation, "how long have you been a police officer?"

"A few weeks now," Ketu replied. He pulled his scarf out of his jacket and started to wipe his face and hair with it.

"Oh," she said with a small amount of disappointment, "I was hoping you could give me some metalbending tips."

"You're an earthbender?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Oh, does that shock you?" she said with smug amusement.

"Meh, not really. This is Republic City," Ketu replied. "I heard there are a couple of rookie pro benders who are full-blooded brothers. One is a firebender and the other is an earthbender." He continued, "Anyway, I'll have you know I've been metalbending since I was a kid. And I've had plenty of practice working with the United Forces for the last 5 years." Normally, he wouldn't be so boastful, but Korra may have wounded his pride a little by suggesting his metalbending was subpar.

"Wow, that's amazing!" she said in astonishment.

"Thanks," Ketu said modestly. "By the way, how'd you end up with Naga?" he asked. "My commander once told me that polar bear dogs couldn't be tamed."

"Well, it all started when I was a little girl," Korra began. "There was a storm approaching, and I heard a pack of polar bear dogs howling in the distance. I told my parents that I wanted to go play with them. But then, my dad was all like, 'Korra, don't you go playing with those wild animals. They could eat you up in one bite.'"

Ketu chuckled at her impression of her father.

"Later that night, the storm was in full swing and I heard the howling of a polar bear dog near our house, so I decided to go out and investigate," Korra continued.

"Wait, how old were you?"

"Like 5 or 6, I think," Korra said dismissively. "Anyway, I went out and found Naga here, all alone. She got separated from her pack, thanks to that blizzard," Korra said as she pet Naga affectionately. "And your commander was right. Normally, polar bear dogs aren't that fond of humans. But luckily, Naga was just a pup and I happened to have some fish jerky on me, at the time. After that, I used my bending to make us a shelter, so we could ride out the storm. The next morning, my dad found us and dug us out. And well, the rest is history."

"Wow," Ketu said. "That sounds like quite the adventure."

Korra smiled. "Yeah, I guess you _could_ say that was an adventure."

"Look Korra, you and Naga seem very nice, but now, I need to ask you some important questions," he said putting his elbows on the table.

"Okay," she said uneasily, realizing the conversation had suddenly taken on a more serious tone.

"How long have you been in Republic City?" Ketu asked.

"A few hours now."

"Did you arrive at the docks?"

"Yes," Korra answered slowly as she was starting to feel self-conscious.

"Alright now, it's vitally important that you tell me the absolute truth from here on out," Ketu explained. "If you lie to me, I'll know," he finished. Ketu subtly retracted the metal soles of his boots and began to focus his Seismic Sensing onto picking up Korra's heartrate and breathing.

"Okay," she said, now feeling _very_ nervous.

"After you arrived, did you and Naga go running through the streets, scaring pedestrians and causing cars to veer off the road?" he asked, focusing all his senses on Korra.

"Yes," Korra said as she hung her head. "But we were just so happy to finally be out of that cramped compartment on the ship that we ran out without thinking. Also, the South Pole doesn't have nearly as many people or satomobiles as there are here," she tried to explain.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Ketu said with a sigh. "That means that I'm gonna have to take you both in."


	3. Chapter 3: Cleaning up Your Messes

Chapter 3: Cleaning Up Your Messes

Korra's emotions were kind of all over the place right now. First, she had finally made it to Republic City, which was awesome. The city was huge and unlike anything she had ever seen. However, not everyone was as open and accepting as she had been led to believe. The people had yelled at her and Naga in frustration as they went down the streets.

Granted, they probably weren't used to a 750 Kg polar bear dog running them down during their commute. Still, they were hungry, and no one was willing to help them out unless they had money.

But then Ketu, a good-looking man that was around her age, had shown up and offered to buy them lunch and took them to a beautiful park. Also, he was apparently a metalbender and a cop. How cool was that? They had a nice meal, and Naga even seemed to really like him. But now, he was saying that she had broken the law, and he had to "take them in."

"Take us in. You mean you're going to arrest us?!" Korra asked with alarm in her voice. "But no one was hurt…right?" she said, suddenly not so sure of herself.

Ketu raised his hands in an attempt to calm her down, "No one was hurt, and you aren't being arrested. However, people could have been hurt in all the chaos you caused," he explained. "Luckily, most of what happened are minor infractions. I can try to pull some strings to let you off with a warning. The real issue is the collision that you caused while running through the streets," he continued, "You'll have to talk to the owners of the vehicles to see if they decide to press charges."

"Okay," Korra said, relieved that she wouldn't have to try to evade arrest, "What happens if they _do _decide to press charges?"

"You'll have to pay a fine to the city and, likely, will have to cover the costs of the vehicle repairs," he replied. "However, considering you couldn't even buy your own lunch, I think that might present a bit of an issue."

Korra looked down in embarrassment; she could feel her cheeks heating up. Tenzin could probably cover any costs, but she _really_ didn't want that to be the very first thing she said to him after sneaking away from the South Pole, against his orders.

"So, what should I do?" she asked, completely lost in this situation. Couldn't they just ask her to face down 20 firebenders or wrestle a saber-tooth moose lion? She could handle that sort of stuff, but asking a total stranger for forgiveness? She wasn't so sure.

* * *

Ketu could tell that this whole situation was making Korra extremely nervous. For some reason, that made him uncomfortable. He argued with himself back and forth before finally coming to a decision. "Alright listen," he said, "I'm gonna tell you what to do to get those guys to drop any charges against you. But you can't tell anyone that I told you to do this, okay?"

"Okay, but why?" Korra asked

"Because cops aren't supposed to tell suspects how to avoid charges!" he replied with exacerbation.

"Alright, I'm listening," she said, clearly paying close attention.

Ketu then began to explain the importance of being extra polite to the drivers. He told her to make sure that she mentioned how relieved she was that no one was hurt. Also, telling them a story about how she lost control of Naga because the sailors didn't feed the two of them on their journey probably wouldn't hurt either. "And finally," Ketu said, "with big, puppy dog-eyes, tell them 'how _horrible_ you feel about the whole situation and that you are so _very, incredibly_ sorry and that it will never happen again.'"

"And you think that'll work?" Korra asked with some doubt. Clearly she was unaware of how cute she was when she was nervous.

"I'd almost guarantee it," he replied.

"Isn't that lying, though? I mean, I didn't actually lose control of Naga," she said.

"That's why I said not to tell anyone," Ketu explained. "Besides, it's more of a white lie to make them more sympathetic."

"Well, alright. Let's go get this over with," she said with uncertainty as they headed out of the park. They were walking along in silence as they made their way back to the drivers and the officer in charge of the scene when Korra suddenly asked, "By the way, why are you helping me out?"

Completely caught off guard by the blunt question, Ketu nervously scratched the area above the scar on his lip and looked over at the city's skyline. "Oh, I don't really know," he replied lamely. Yeah right, he knew damn-well why. Korra was a pretty girl, and he was an 18 year-old guy. Goddamn hormones; at this rate, he'd be fired before the end of the month.

Not quite sure if he was telling the truth, Korra simply shrugged it off. "Well, whatever your reason, I want you to know that I really appreciate it," she said with a smile.

Ketu could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she said that. "Oh yeah, sure. No problem."

* * *

"It was so cool how you just metalbent all that damage out of that truck," Korra said. "You were all BAM," she said trusting her left fist out, "and that huge dent was gone. And then you went VROOMPH," bending both hands to her chest like she was lifting weights, "and the bumper and step bar are all straightened out and put back together." She grinned while thinking of the impressive bending display. "It was like watching time move in reverse."

"Yeah well, I figured if there was no damage to the vehicle, the owner wouldn't have anything to complain about," Ketu replied, holding his hands behind his head in a relaxing manner.

Korra was feeling much better; Ketu's plan had gone off without a hitch so far. They had managed to convince the truck driver to agree to not levy any charges against her. They had approached the scene of the collision and saw that only the truck driver and responding officer were still there. Apparently, after he had given the officer all his information, the owner of the smaller satomobile had been released. Korra then apologized to the truck driver as Ketu had instructed, and with Ketu right there, vouching for her sincerity. The driver agreed to let the incident slide.

Currently, they were backtracking through the park in order to reach the home of the owner of the green satomobile. When Korra suggested riding Naga, Ketu told her he wouldn't allow her to ride Naga until after they had dealt with the mess she had already caused.

He then, jokingly, told her that if she really wanted, Korra could ride with him on the back of his motorcycle. He quickly laughed at her blushing face and said that cutting through the park would be quicker. She frowned to herself, she never said she was against the idea.

Korra was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a megaphone screeching to life. "Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders? Then join the Equalists!" a short pale man said as he stood atop a small table to make up for his diminutive stature. "For too long, the bending elite of this city have forced non-benders to live as lower-class citizens. Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment." The protestor was standing in front of a large poster of a man wearing dark, black clothes and a white mask.

Before Ketu could stop her, Korra quickly approached the anti-bending protestor. "What are you talking about? Bending is the coolest thing in the world," she declared as though it was a simple fact.

"Oh yeah," the protestor shot back, "let me guess. You're a bender." His sideburns seemed to bristle in anger as he was interrupted.

"Yeah, I am," the young woman confirmed.

"Then I bet you'd just love to knock me off this platform with some waterbending, huh?" he asked, trying to goad her into attacking.

"I just might," Korra replied as she clenched her fists to her side.

At this point Ketu had approached the scene. "Alright that's enough of that," he said, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder, "Everyone here just needs to calm down."

"You see! The system is so corrupt even the police will try to silence the truth!" the protestor declared over his megaphone, grasping onto the opportunity.

Ketu chose to ignore the protestor and, instead, addressed the crowd. "Listen up, everyone. The United Republic of Nations is a free state. That means that _every_ person, bender and non-bender, regardless of their heritage, is allowed to freely and publicly express their opinions," he explained. "However, the United Republic was founded upon the ideals of harmony and peaceful coexistence. It's wrong to use the freedom granted to us to try to incite violence against those that are different or who don't believe everything exactly as you do. It goes against everything that we, as citizens of this great nation, stand for."

At this point, the protestor had begun to loudly chant "Equality Now" through his megaphone over and over again in an attempt to regain the crowd's attention and drown out the officer.

Finally having enough of the man, Ketu then reached out with his metalbending and yanked the megaphone out of the protestor's grip and continued. "I know the people of Republic City are good and honest. It's why I choose to put my life on the line to protect this city and those who call it home. Please, don't allow the fear-mongering of a single, angry man to turn you against a young woman who you don't even know."

With his speech finished, Ketu turned and walked back to Korra. The crowd had mostly done as he'd asked and begun to disperse, leaving the Equalist protestor by himself. "You know I could have handled that," Korra said as she put her hands on her hips. "Still, that was kinda impressive. You diffused a really tense situation. You're pretty good at talking to people."

"Thanks," Ketu replied. "As a member of the police department and a former military officer, it's sort of important that I know how to properly answer questions from the press and diffuse volatile situations like that."

The Equalist protestor had gotten off his platform and angrily marched up to the two of them. "Alright, you've said your speech, _Officer_," he said with a sneer. "Now return my property to me," he demanded with his hand outstretched.

Ketu glared down at the man, knowing full well he was planning on continuing with his hateful rhetoric as soon as he and Korra left. Most likely, the protestor hoped to provoke another bender into attacking him, like he had just tried with Korra.

"Actually, City Ordinance states, 'Any gathering on public property which exceeds 80 decibels must have a permit.' You wouldn't happen to have one, would you?" Ketu asked innocently.

The protestor merely ground his teeth together in anger, continuing to hold out his hand.

"Didn't think so," Ketu said as he crushed the megaphone in his hand. He then dropped the shattered pieces into the Equalist's outstretched hand.

* * *

Ketu was currently sweating bullets, and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Just because everyone told him he was good at speaking to large groups of people that didn't mean he enjoyed it. In fact, he absolutely _hated_ public speaking. However, even he could tell that situation was about to escalate quickly, and something had to be done.

Korra, on the other hand, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, retelling the story with her own flair added in, "…Then you were all, 'I'm sorry, sir, but City Law says you're not allowed to be a whiny jerk in public.' And then you just took that megaphone and crushed it with your bare hands."

Ketu sighed internally; he actually hadn't meant to do that. He could get in serious trouble for destroying private property for no reason. Ketu had been high on the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, and he had acted impulsively. "Actually, I used metalbending to do that," he corrected her.

"Yeah, I know," she said, "but it was still totally awesome!"

Just then, the duo heard splashing coming from the nearby stream. They turned and saw Naga pulling her head out of the water with a fish hanging from her mouth. Korra grinned. "Hey Naga, be sure to save one for me. I've worked up an appetite," she said.

Ketu groaned to himself. "Korra, you guys aren't allowed to fish here. This is a park," he said.

"Aww, but why? It's not like we're hurting anyone," Korra asked. "Besides, the park is public property and I'm part of the public," she reasoned as she began to take her boots off to jump into the stream.

"That may be true, but if you were allowed to fish here then everyone would be allowed to as well," Ketu explained. "That would lead to overfishing. The fish wouldn't be able to maintain their population, and it would throw the entire ecosystem of the park _out of balance._"

That seemed to have an effect on the normally stubborn girl as she stopped removing her footwear and took on a very thoughtful and pensive expression. "Come on out, Naga. We shouldn't fish here," Korra finally said.

In response, Naga's ears drooped down and she looked towards them, longingly. Hoping that it would change their minds. "Fine," Ketu relented, "you can keep that _one_ fish, but no more from now on."

With that, Naga happily bound out of the stream with her prize in her mouth, and the 3 of them made their way out of the park.

The long day was finally coming to an end as they approached their original destination. "Alright Korra, we're about there. The driver's name is Mr. Chung, and he owns a shop around the next corner," Ketu explained. "I think it might go better if you introduce yourself to him without being escorted there by a cop. Might send the wrong impression," he said as he leaned up against the corner of a building. "I'll be right here if you need any help."

"Okay, if you think that's what's best."

As Korra walked around the corner to meet Mr. Chung, Ketu closed his eyes, attempting to perform some light meditation. It had been a crazy afternoon, and he was a little wound up. However, just as he was about to begin, he heard a loud crash coming from the direction Korra had left in. It sounded like rock hitting a metal plate.

Ketu quickly rounded the corner and saw Korra facing down 3 Triads, if their outfits and gaudy, golden satomobile were anything to go by. One of the men was already taken care of, lying on the ground in front of the his satomobile, dazed. Ketu came by just in time to see Korra stomp the ground and send one of the men flying into the air with her earthbending.

"Korra!" he yelled, running to her side.

She and the last Triad turned and saw him. "What the-? A cop!?" the Triad said, clearly beginning to panic. "You're both dead!" he shouted as he thrust both fists forward, sending a blast of fire at both Ketu and Korra.

Ketu quickly dropped to the ground to dodge the attack while simultaneously reaching into his jacket and pulling out a couple of metal cuffs. These cuffs were similar to regular handcuffs except there was no chain connecting them.

Ketu chose to use these cuffs to subdue his targets after he and Commander Bumi came across a rogue lightningbender leading a group of bandits in the Earth Kingdom. Ketu hadn't been aware of the bandit leader's talents. And when he tried to use his cables to capture the bandit, he was taken by surprise when the man used the metal cord wrapped around his torso to channel his electrical assault straight back at Ketu.

The young officer wasn't sure what abilities this Triad had, so he wasn't going to take any chances. As Ketu dropped to the ground to avoid the fire blast, he performed a low spinning kick which sent the cuffs towards the firebender. One of the cuffs clicked around the firebender's right wrist while the other attached itself to his left ankle. Ketu then continued his spinning kick until he settled into a kneeling position.

Worried about the civilian, Ketu turned to see how Korra was doing. But to his surprise, it appeared as though she had reached into the fire blast and pulled it apart from the inside. Was she firebending?

Realizing that the questions could wait, Ketu thrust both of his hands out in front of him and then spun them, one over the other, in a twister-like motion. Mirroring his movements, the cuffs spun as well, causing the firebending Triad to literally spin head-over-heels as he landed hard on his stomach. Ketu then clasped his hands together which caused the cuffs to link together behind the Triad's back.

Believing the situation to be over, Ketu was surprised when the satomobile suddenly sped past him with the other 2 Triads aboard. "You're not getting away!" Korra yelled as she began to run after the satomobile.

"Wait Korra," Ketu said, grabbing her attention. "It's my job to deal with this."

He quickly shot the cables out of this arm guards. The cables wrapped themselves to one of the many metal cords strung up between the buildings around the city. He then quickly reeled the cords back into his suit, catapulting himself through the air.

He landed on the roof of the satomobile and used his metalbending to keep his boots firmly attached to it. Ketu then turned his attention forward. Reaching out, he roughly yanked the entire engine block out of the satomobile and tossed onto the street behind them. Feeling the vehicle begin to decelerate, he jumped off as it came to a stop several meters ahead in the middle of the road.

"Hey, good work there," Korra said as she caught up to them. She then turned her attention to the recently removed engine block sitting in the middle of the road. "What'd you pull out of there anyway?"

"I don't really know," he said with a shrug, "but it looked important."

Before they could continue, however, a loud siren began to blare above their heads. "Police! Freeze where you are!" a voice came out over a speaker.

They looked up and saw a dark grey airship bearing the distinctive insignia of the Republic City Police Department. A hatch then opened up on the bottom of the airship, and several metalbending police officers jump out, using their metal cables to slow their descent. The newly-arrived officers quickly surrounded the de-engined satomobile and subdued the remaining Triads.

"Well, Korra, it seems that I lied to you," Ketu said with a heavy sigh, "It looks like you _are_ going to have to come into the station today."


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting the Family

Chapter 4: Meeting the Family

Republic City Police Headquarters stood as a beacon of peace and stability, a promise to the people of the city that those who broke the law would face justice. Being there usually gave Lin Beifong a certain sense of peace. And seeing the large bronze statue of her mother as she entered made her proud to be Chief, knowing she was part of a great family tradition. As she walked through the station's halls today however, all she was feeling was extreme irritation.

Apparently, instead of finishing her airbending training in the South Pole, as Lin had been told, the Avatar had come to Republic City. And then, after arriving, she had somehow met Lin's overly idealistic son and convinced him to accompany her on a jaunt around the city. Lin had been receiving reports from around the city throughout the day: traffic disruptions near the docks, an incident with an anti-bending mob in the city park, and fighting Triads in the streets. Republic City's Chief of Police was heading towards the station's holding cells where the young man in question was currently securing the Triads that he and the Avatar had been fighting.

"Oh come on, man. I'm already locked up," a voice came out from inside the cell. "Can't you unlock these cuffs already? My leg's really crampin' up here!"

As she approached, Lin could see the man in the cell. He was pale, shorter than average, and had a scar going across his left eye. According to his file, his name was Two-Toed Ping, and he was a known member of the Triple Threat Triads. What caught her attention was the fact that he was lying on his chest in the middle of the floor. His right wrist and left ankle were cuffed together behind his back. That couldn't be a comfortable position to be in.

"Oh, you're uncomfortable?" Ketu asked the criminal sarcastically. "Extortion, assault, evading arrest, and attacking an officer of the law," he said, listing off Ping's most recent charges. "Do you know how much paperwork I'm going to have to do now thanks to you?"

"I don't think you have much room to complain about paperwork, _Officer Beifong_," Lin said as she finally gained both men's attention. She then turned on her heel and motioned for her son to follow her. "So, care to explain why you and the Avatar were gallivanting around the city and causing havoc?" she asked almost casually.

"Hey, we weren't 'gallivanting,'" Ketu protested. "Besides, I didn't even know she was the Avatar until she started firebending with that guy," he explained, pointing his thumb back towards the cells. "I thought she was just an earthbender."

"An earthbender? Why would you think that?" Lin asked with confusion. After all, the Avatar was clearly from the Water Tribes.

"Well, when we were having lunch in the park, she asked if I could show her some of my moves. So from that, I assumed—"

His mother abruptly stopped mid-stride as she turned to look him in the eye. "She asked you to _what _while you were _where_!?" his mother asked, interrupting him.

There was a steely edge in her voice that told Ketu that he said something he shouldn't have, and he nervously looked away. Noticing where they were, Lin continued, "Never mind, we'll continue this conversation _later_." Letting her son know he wasn't going to get out of this one.

As they arrived at their destination, Lin opened the door to the interrogation room. Ketu was about to follow her in, when her arm came up and blocked his way. "I think it would be best if I conducted this interview _alone_," she said as the door closed shut in his face.

The chief knew that the younger officer was probably leaning against the wall just beside the doorway, hoping to listen in as best he could. However, she couldn't focus on that right now. The young woman who had spent the entire day with her son was sitting across the room from her, cuffed to the table. Lin Beifong had a lot of questions, and this, this…_little girl_ was going to give her some answers.

* * *

The interrogation rooms inside of the Republic City Police Station were, in a word, oppressive. The room was perfectly square with a repeating pattern of metal plates and only a single overhead lamp to provide illumination to bolted-down, metal table that suspects were forced to sit at. There was no obvious indication as to where the door was, and if one wasn't careful, they could easily forget which of the dark grey plates provided the exit. Without metalbending, it may not even be possible to leave.

Everything about this room, from its cool, stale air to the way even the tiniest of sounds echoed off of its metal walls, was made to remind the criminals within that they were out of their element. And that, here, in this room, the metalbenders of the Republic City Police had all the advantage. You were in _their_ territory, now. It was ironic then, that, despite being designed to put criminals on edge, this room's current occupant was none other than the Avatar herself.

Korra was not in the best situation. After the metalbending cops had shown up, they had escorted her and Ketu back to the police station. Ketu was asked to sign some forms and escort the recently captured Triads to the holding cells. Meanwhile, Korra was told that she needed to answer some questions and she was brought to an 'interview room.' At that point, she was quickly cuffed to the table and told that someone would be by in a few minutes.

It had been over 20 minutes and no one had arrived to 'interview' her yet. Korra was beginning to get impatient. After all, why did they have to cuff her to a table? She wasn't a criminal. In fact, she helped the police capture 3 _actual_ criminals just an hour ago.

Just then, the door across the room slid open. A stern looking woman with grey hair and wearing a black police uniform walked in. Her uniform was clearly made of metal, meaning she was a metalbender like Ketu. However, unlike the bulky, light grey armor that Ketu and the other metalbenders wore, this woman's uniform was darker and sleeker with gold accents around the shoulders and down the arms. Clearly, this woman was important. As she got closer, Korra could see she had pale green eyes, 2 parallel scars on the right side of her jaw, and what looked to be a permanent scowl on her face.

"Let's see, multiple counts of destruction of private and city property," the older woman began as she walked around Korra, "not to mention threatening a protestor. You're in a whole mess of trouble young lady."

"But that protestor was the one trying to cause trouble," Korra tried to explain, "And those thugs were threatening a helpless shop keeper and I had to—"

"Can it!" the grumpy woman said as she slammed the clipboard down on the table. "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

"But Ketu was just around the corner, and I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. It's my duty to help people," Korra explained. "See, I'm the Avatar."

"Oh I am well aware of who you are," the policewoman replied, "and your _Avatar title_ might impress some people, but not me."

Finally having enough of this disrespect, Korra collected herself. "Alright, fine," she said with determination. "Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge."

"You're talking to her," the older woman informed Korra as she took a seat in the chair across the table. "I'm Chief Beifong."

"Wait, Beifong…Lin Beifong?" Korra asked as she finally made the connections. "You're Toph's daughter!"

"What of it?"

"Then why are you treating me like a criminal?" Korra asked, clearly confused about the whole situation. "Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together."

"That's ancient history, and it's got diddlysquat to do with the mess you're in right now," Lin explained. "You can't just waltz in here and use your feminine wiles to get my officers to go along with you as you dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!"

"Hey!" a familiar voice came from the outside the door.

"Ketu, is that you?" Korra asked. "What's going on?"

Rather than answering Korra, Ketu continued with what he was saying. "I was not caught up by any of her 'feminine wiles,'" he said, indignantly. "Well…not completely," he admitted.

Before Korra could process _that_ statement, Lin interrupted her thoughts. Clearly, she was beyond annoyed by that point. "What do you think you're doing eavesdropping on my interrogation, _Officer Beifong_!?" she demanded as she yelled at the door.

"You know, it's not exactly eavesdropping if you're shouting, _Mom_!" Ketu replied from the other side of the wall.

"Wait…MOM!?" Korra asked in astonishment.

Ignoring the flabbergasted Avatar, Lin turned back to the door and shouted, "That's 'Chief' while we're on the job, _Mister_!"

Not letting herself be distracted, Korra asked again, "Are you saying that Ketu…like the Ketu I've spent the whole day with, is _your_ son?"

"What of it?" Lin asked again. She narrowed her eyes upon hearing the tone in Korra's voice.

"Oh, nothing…" Korra replied nervously as she looked away from the glare that the chief was sending her way. Korra was having a hard time believing that someone so abrasive could actually raise someone as polite and helpful as Ketu.

"Can I just come in already?" Ketu asked in exacerbation.

"Fine," Lin relented.

Upon gaining permission, Ketu then opened the door and walked in. He walked past the chair that his mother was sitting in and instead stood to the side of the table directly between her and Korra. He then grabbed the clipboard and turned it so he could read its contents.

"Alright look, Chief. You've read my report of the situation. You know that the none of the drivers from earlier in the day are pressing charges," Ketu began. "The only damage to private property caused in the fight with the Triads was a display stand full of fruit, and as thanks for saving his life, the owner isn't going to press charges either. And as far as the road damage is concerned, you know as well as I do that police are allowed _some_ leeway when it comes to capturing criminals. Especially since we can just use earthbending to fix it right up," he explained. "Korra's involvement in the whole mess can be written off as self-defense."

Before anyone could continue, however, a panel on the side of the wall slid open. Everyone turned and saw a policeman looking through the opening. "Chief - oh, and Officer Beifong," he said as he noticed the room's third occupant. "Councilman Tenzin is here."

Korra was so relieved to that Tenzin had arrived that she almost missed it, but she saw Ketu tense up momentarily upon hearing that name. He quickly covered it up, however, as his face took on a neutral expression.

Apparently oblivious to her son's discomfort, Lin let out an annoyed sigh, "Let him in."

The door slid open revealing a tall, middle-aged man with a dark brown pointed beard. His head was shaved, revealing the iconic arrow-shaped tattoos that identified the man as an airbending master. This man was Tenzin, son of Avatar Aang and a councilman of the United Republic.

His irritated expression quickly morphed into surprise as he noticed the other man in the room. "Oh, Ketu. I didn't realize you were back in Republic City," Tenzin said.

The young police officer then cleared his throat rather loudly as he casually tapped on the golden badge on his chest. "_Councilman_ Tenzin, it's…good to see you again," Ketu replied formally.

"Oh, right," Tenzin murmured as he recognized the situation that they were in. He then cleared his own throat and spoke in a formal voice. "Officer Beifong_,_ it's good to see you as well. I trust you are doing the Police Department and your mother proud."

"Of course, Sir," Ketu replied, looking forward.

"Good, good," Tenzin replied awkwardly.

Tenzin then turned his attention to the person who was in charge as he tried to put on a pleasant smile. "Lin, you're looking radiant as usual," Tenzin said as he did his best to inject a bit of cheerfulness in his voice.

"Cut the garbage, Tenzin," Lin said, curtly. Clearly, she was not in the mood for false pleasantries. "Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her."

"My relocation has been delayed," Tenzin explained. "The _Avatar_, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where she will _stay put_."

Korra hung her head, and her shoulders had slumped down as she was scolded. "But—!" she tried to protest.

However, Tenzin interrupted any arguments as he continued, "If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's…regrettable events and cover all the damages."

Lin was quiet for a moment, weighing her options, before she let out a sigh. "Luckily for you, _my son_ managed to keep _your Avatar_ from causing too much damage," Lin replied. "He also managed to clear up any charges that might have been levied against her. Now, just get her out of my city before she causes anymore trouble," she said as she walked out of the room. "Because next time, Ketu _won't_ be there to clean up any of her messes."

Ketu then waved his hand over Korra's handcuffs, and they unlocked themselves with a click. "If you two would follow me," he said, walking towards the exit. "I'll escort you both out."

* * *

Korra could feel the tension between Ketu and Tenzin as they walked through the halls of the police station. Neither man had said a word since they left the interrogation room. In fact, they hadn't so much as looked at each other. Ketu had his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he walked.

Tenzin, meanwhile, kept his own hands concealed within his long robes, but his shoulders were very tense. Both men kept their gazes locked forward, never straying from their path.

"So, you two know each other…" Korra half-stated, half-asked as she hoped to break the awkward silence.

Ignoring Korra's question, Tenzin finally turned to look at Ketu with a surprised expression. "You didn't tell her who you were?"

"I didn't even know she was the Avatar until she came into the station," the young officer replied, still walking and looking firmly forward. Whatever it was that was eating at him had clearly reached the breaking point as his voice began to rise and his arms were brought to his sides, fists clenched.

"Though, I guess this means that _you_ never bothered to mention _me_ to her," Ketu said harshly as he finally turned to face the older man.

Tenzin's face grew flushed, and he looked down in shame. Before he could say anything else, Ketu continued along their path, walking in front of the older man and not looking back. He brought his hands back behind his back, trying to regain some sort of professional aura. However, that impression was hard to give off, considering his fists were still clenched tightly behind his back as he marched forward.

Korra was very confused now. Ketu was Lin's son and that made him Toph's grandson, sure. But why would _Tenzin_ bother to mention that to her? Did the two of them use to be close, years ago?

They continued on in silence until they reached the exit where Naga was waiting for them. She was with a young officer who she had apparently taken a liking to, if his wet face and swirled up hair was anything to go by.

"Is this your polar bear dog, Miss?" he asked as the held the reins out to Korra expectantly. Korra accepted the reins and led Naga towards the exit with Ketu and Tenzin. This time, however, she decided to leave the awkward silence as it was.

They had arrived near the main entrance, but before Korra and Tenzin could leave, Tenzin sighed, looked to Ketu, and attempted to talk to the young man one last time.

"Listen, Ketu, I know that the last time we spoke, we didn't leave on the best of terms. However, despite what you may believe, I really am proud of everything you've accomplished the last 5 years. I know that my father would be proud of what you've done to keep the world safe," Tenzin said sincerely. "We've all done our best to keep up with your exploits. But why didn't you tell me that you were coming back to Republic City?"

Ketu's expression softened as well, and his fists finally relaxed as his arms settled to his side. He could tell that Tenzin was trying to make the effort.

"When I left the United Forces, Bumi dropped me off at the Southern Water Tribe so I could catch a ferry back to the city," he explained. "I heard you were moving down there to train the Avatar, and I figured you'd hear about it once you got there."

"I see, Mother probably forgot to mention it with all the drama that was going on," Tenzin reasoned. "Still, I _am _glad that you've come home," he said with a smile as he placed a hand on Ketu's shoulder. "I hope you'll come visit Air Temple Island sometime soon. I know for a fact that Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo will be ecstatic to have you back."

Ketu gave a genuine smile after hearing about the Airbending Kids. Korra smiled as well. Most of the hostility between the two men had apparently dissipated.

"Sure, tell them I'll be by before the end of the week," Ketu said as he turned back to go into the station, "I'll see you then, Father."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, for those of you who have decided to stick around until this point. I would like to thank you. I've decided to upload the first 4 chapters right off the bat to give you guys something to read, but I won't be doing that many consecutive chapters from now on. Next chapter will be up on Friday 10/4, and I'll try to shoot for every other week or so after that. If you've liked the story so far, please leave a review to let me know.**

**Ominous Out**


	5. Chapter 5: A Nice Dinner

Chapter 5: A Nice Dinner

Korra looked out over Yue Bay. She saw the majestic skyline of the city light up in the night. From her position on the boat she was on, she could see the statue of Avatar Aang. She turned and saw Tenzin was staring at it as well, almost as if he were seeking guidance from it.

As they were nearing the docks on Air Temple Island, Korra could see a ship under the command of the White Lotus waiting to take her back to the South Pole. She _really_ wanted to grill Tenzin about the fact that he apparently had some sort of secret son. And that he was her age, no less, but she couldn't focus on that right now.

"Tenzin, please, don't send me back home," Korra pleaded.

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes, and the orders of the White Lotus," Tenzin said, clearly disappointed in the young Avatar's decisions.

"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar," Korra tried to explain. "Ketu showed me a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I know that the police are doing their best, but it's just not enough. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City does need you, but it needs me too," she said, hoping that her intentions would sink in.

Tenzin merely gave a weary sigh and moved to the bow of the ship as they approached the dock, leaving Korra where she stood. With her hopes seemingly dashed, Korra turned towards the rear of the ship as she took in Republic City's skyline for the last time. As she moved to disembark, she could see members of the Order of the White Lotus waiting for her at the end of the ramp.

Korra and the guards were walking towards their own ship when they heard several children shout her name from overhead. Looking up, Korra saw two orange gliders move in for a landing near to where she was standing. The first glider to land actually had two occupants. The pilot was a girl, about 10 years-old, and the rider was a boy, clearly much younger than her. The second was also piloted by a young girl, somewhere between the age of the other two.

They were all wearing the traditional garb of the airbenders and were clearly siblings. The girls both had light brown hair, while their younger brother had a shaved head. The younger sister had two bobs in her hair and the oldest only had a single. These were Tenzin's airbending children: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.

Korra wasn't able to respond as all 3 of them swarmed her and wrapped her legs up as they hugged her. Before her siblings could say anything else, Ikki quickly looked up to Korra. "Are you coming to live with us on the island?" the young girl asked expectantly.

"No, I'm sorry Ikki," Korra answered sadly as she lowered herself to their eyelevel. She felt bad about crushing the little girl's hopes. "I have to go home now."

Tenzin stood to the side as he watched the entire exchange with his expression unreadable. "Oh…" Ikki said, clearly very disappointed about not getting to have a new 'sister' on the island. The 3 children moved back to stand with their father as they watched Korra prepare to leave with Naga and the White Lotus guards.

"Wait," Tenzin's voice came from behind the departing group. Korra and the guards stopped and turned around. "I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it, but you are right. It has fallen out of balance since he passed," Tenzin said. "I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are a part of that legacy," he explained as he put his hand on Korra's shoulder. "You may stay and train airbending here with me. Republic City needs its Avatar once again."

Clearly growing more and more elated as Tenzin spoke, Korra had a huge open-mouthed grin as he finished. "Yes! Thank you! You're the best!" Korra exclaimed in excitement.

"YAY!" all 3 of the airbending kids cheered. Before any of them knew it was coming, Korra had scooped them up in a group hug. Finally, as a true feat of strength, she picked Tenzin up into the hug as well. As his children were giggling in happiness, Tenzin merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. He was already regretting his decision.

* * *

Lin Beifong was beginning to get impatient. Which was quite a feat, considering the fact that her mother's style of earthbending required a mastery of Neutral Jing. First, she was wearing a modest, dark green dress. She really didn't care to dress up in something so _feminine,_ and she wanted to get out of it as quick as possible and change into something else. However, Kwong's Cuisine was Republic city's most premiere restaurant, and they had a very strict dress code for their patrons.

Second, the doorman refused to let her bring in her metalbending gear. She did not like to be unarmed out in public. And most importantly, her "date" was running incredibly late. Lin was just about to stand up, when she saw him enter. He was quickly buttoning the top buttons of his black suit and fixing his collar as he approached the table.

"Sorry I'm late, Mom," Ketu apologized as he finished straightening his dark orange scarf into a sort-of faux ascot. "Two-Toed Ping tried to escape as I was getting ready to leave," he explained. "He used his firebending to blowtorch the lock on his cell, but he burned his hand when he touched the hot metal to open the door. I had to re-capture him and fill out an incident report before I could leave for my apartment to get dressed."

"Ah, I see," his mother said. "The job does have a tendency to cut into our personal lives."

It was one of the reasons why Lin was grateful that she and Tenzin had joint custody when Ketu was growing up. It was easier for her to accomplish most of her duties whenever her son was with his father. That way, she had more free time with him when Ketu would stay with her.

"Still, I am sorry that you had to wait so long," her son said. "I was the one who suggested we go out, and you ended up having to wait for me."

Lin smiled. These 'dates' were a fairly common thing that the two of them did. After Ketu left to join the United Forces, he would only be able to come home for a few days to a week at a time, and only once every few months. Usually, he would try to sync up his leave time with his siblings' birthdays. However, no matter what the occasion, he'd always make sure that the two of them always went out for a meal before he left. She was so proud of how considerate her son was.

"Don't worry about it," Lin assured her son. "I'm just happy you could remember this old woman's birthday."

"Yeah, about that," Ketu began. "Why'd you choose to come here of all places?" he asked as he eyed her dress.

Sure, the food was good, but he knew that his mother loathed having to get dressed up, unless it was her police uniform that is. And Kwong's wasn't the sort of place that you could get away with just wearing _that._

"Oh, is this place a little too out of the price range for a regular beat cop?" Lin teased.

Her son merely rolled his eyes. Lin knew as well as he did that the Beifong family was more than well off. They owned many businesses throughout the United Republic as well as in the Earth Kingdom. Though apparently, his aunt who lived in Zaofu was the one who handled the day-to-day management of their family's finances.

"All kidding aside," Lin said, "I chose this place because you decided to join me in law enforcement."

"Oh?" he asked in confusion.

"Tell me, _Officer_, do you know who originally owned this restaurant?" Lin asked in an almost teasing voice.

"Umm…Kwong?" her son answered, clearly unsure.

"No, Kwong may have been the manager and head chef when this place opened, but he wasn't the owner," Lin explained. "The original owner was a man named Yakone. He was the head of Republic City's largest criminal empire. He used this restaurant as a front to launder his dirty money. And your grandmother arrested him as he was sitting in this very booth," Lin said as she pointed to their seat for emphasis.

"Yakone," Ketu said as he scratched his chin. "If I remember my History classes right, he was a powerful bloodbender. He used his abilities to try to escape from his own trial after he was convicted, but Grandpa Aang chased him down and removed his bending."

"That's right," Lin continued with a smile. "After Yakone was convicted and sent to prison, ownership of this restaurant was transferred to Mr. Kwong, and this place has been 100% legit for over 40 years," she explained. "This place stands as a symbol. Being a cop isn't just about punishing criminals. It's about removing corruption, so that honest, hard-working people can have the chance to thrive. Without Yakone to fear, Kwong was able to stand on his own and make his restaurant one of the best in the entire world. It shows what we are fighting for every day and _who_ we are fighting for," Lin finished.

"Dang, Chief. Do you ever think of running for office?" her son asked with a smirk.

* * *

Ketu was feeling rather guilty at the moment. He had just wanted to take his mother out to dinner to celebrate her birthday that he had missed the previous month. Unfortunately, after he had arrived, his mother had started talking about how proud she was that he had become a police officer and kept bringing up their family's extinguished history in law enforcement.

Of course, Ketu was proud of his family's legacy and believed that being in law enforcement was a very noble profession. However, he was still only 18 years-old. Although, he didn't have any other plans for the time being, that didn't mean that he was certain that he wanted to be a cop for the rest of his life.

He was just tired of being in the military and away from his mom and siblings, and being a cop was about the only job he could get in Republic City with his particular skillset. What really worried him was that, in a year, 5 years, or even 10 years down the line, if he decided to quit, then his mother might not ever fully forgive him.

Ketu knew that when his mother received his letter saying that he wanted to leave the United Forces and work in Republic City as a police officer, it had to have been one the proudest and happiest moments of her life. The absolute last thing that he wanted to do was hurt his own mother. Especially considering that Ketu knew he was the only family that Lin had that she was on speaking terms with.

Wanting desperately to change the subject, Ketu decided to bring up a topic he knew his mother couldn't resist. "So, during those last few months patrolling the South Pole, we weren't able to get many clear signals from Republic City," Ketu said. "What's been going on with Pro-bending this season?"

"Oh really? That's too bad. This season's actually turning out to be pretty exciting," Lin said. "The Wolfbats and that Tahno boy are still leading the season, but the Boar-q-pines are doing much better. However, the real surprise this year is this new team called the Fire Ferrets," she explained with excitement. "They're rookies. But two of the team's members are brothers, and they work together better than most veterans."

Ketu gave an easy half-smile as his mother began to tell him what had been happening on the Pro-bending scene. Normally, one wouldn't think that Lin Beifong would be a Pro-bending enthusiast. However, when he was about 6 or 7, Ketu had heard about Pro-bending from a girl in his class, and he expressed in interest in the sport.

Lin saw this as a golden opportunity to bond with her son. She even let Ketu join the Junior-bending league before he left to join the military. It also didn't hurt that she knew Tenzin found the whole sport abhorrent and introducing their son to it was likely to get under his skin.

Ketu knew that his mother was being slightly petty, but he figured that her following a sport that his father didn't like was better than her trying to throw his stepmother, Pema, in jail…again. It was ironic, even though Lin only had only gotten into the sport as a way to get one over on her ex, she was a bigger fan of the spectacle than her son, at this point.

Ketu continued to listen as Lin filled him in until their food arrived. After their dinner arrived, they settled into a comfortable silence as they focused on eating their meal. Lin only giving off the odd statistic or her opinion of a rule change between bites.

As they were finishing up, Lin decided to bring up a more serious topic. "So, I heard from your father earlier this evening," she said.

"Oh yeah?" her son inquired.

"Apparently, the Avatar is going to be staying in Republic City," she continued. "He says that it's so she can master airbending. But he also thinks that she will be able to help 'restore balance.' As if _we're _not good enough to keep this city safe without help from some spoiled, little princess," Lin said angrily as she brought her fist down on the corner of their table.

The loud noise suddenly drawing everyone's attention. A young couple sitting two tables down apparently had their romantic mood ruined. The young man seemed particularly peeved about the interruption. And a group of loud and extravagantly-dressed patrons across the room suddenly fell silent as they turned their attention to the sudden commotion.

The leader of the group, a handsome Water Tribe man, merely sent Ketu and his mother a curious and thoughtful look. He likely recognized his mother as the Chief of Police, but couldn't be sure given that she was rarely seen out of uniform.

"Well, she is the Avatar," Ketu said, trying to placate her. "They _have_ been helping to keep the world at peace for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years now."

Lin gave him a skeptical look. Almost like she was surprised that he wouldn't agree with her. "Well, I've heard plenty from Tenzin and the White Lotus over the years. The only thing _that girl_ knows how to do is pick fights," his mother tried to assure him. "Mark my words, if you hadn't been there babysitting her, she would have destroyed half the city before we caught her."

"Well, what can you do?" Ketu asked. "Avatar or not, she's a still private citizen and you can't throw her in jail or kick her out of the city just because she _might_ do something."

"As long as all she does is learn airbending, I don't care," Lin said. "But if she tries to start anything in _my_ city, she'll be on a boat to the South Pole so fast her head will spin."

Ketu sighed; he didn't know what his mother's problem with Korra was. Korra seemed nice enough the other day. Maybe a little hot-headed, but he doubted she would actually hurt someone without just cause. Ketu was about to end the conversation when an idea suddenly struck him. "Why don't you assign her a bodyguard?" he suggested.

"A bodyguard?" his mother asked, clearly confused by the suggestion.

"Yeah, the police department always provides security for visiting dignitaries and important figures," Ketu explained, "and I can't think of anyone more important than the Avatar."

"Why would the Avatar, of all people, need a bodyguard?" Lin asked. "She's not exactly helpless."

"Maybe not, but it would give you an excuse to keep an eye on her," he replied.

Lin remained quiet, not quite convinced yet, but definitely not against the idea.

"Think about it," Ketu pressed on before the chief could make up her mind. "Would you rather be completely in the dark the next time the Avatar tries to take down all the Triads singlehanded? Or would you rather have an officer there the whole time to reason with her, to explain why that's a bad idea?" he asked. "Besides, worst case scenario, you'll at least know beforehand when the Avatar decides to do something reckless."

Lin seemed to be pondering what he said, trying to make a decision. "Even if I give my approval, how exactly do you expect me to convince the Avatar to accept having a police-appointed bodyguard?" she finally asked.

"That's easy. Because you won't go to the Avatar with the proposal, you go to Father with it," Ketu said. "Tell him that it's to help smooth over any future issues with the city that might come up. After you've convinced him that it's necessary, _he_ can be the one to convince Korra for you."

Lin paused again, noticing how casually her son was referring to the Avatar with her given name instead of simply her title. "And just who would you suggest that we give this assignment to?" Lin asked, clearly already knowing who he would suggest and already prepared to shoot him down.

"Oh, come on, Chief," Ketu pleaded.

"You just don't have enough experience yet," she replied.

"Who else are you going to send? Lu and Gang?" he asked. "While two are stuffing their faces with macaroons with the Air Acolytes, Korra will be halfway to the city before they know what's going on."

"There are plenty of other officers who are more capable than you," Lin insisted.

"I was with the United Forces for _five years_! I've dealt with bigger threats and seen more action than half the department combined!" Ketu disagreed, his voice beginning to rise.

He was getting tired of people disrespecting him. Everyone in the department was calling him 'Sergeant Sonar.' His _actual_ sergeant kept sending him on the low-risk patrol while the other rookies were already being assigned to more veteran partners.

Most likely it was part of some sort of jealous retribution, thinking Ketu was just a couple of months away from taking his job. And now, his own mother didn't think he could handle a simple bodyguard assignment.

Ketu's raised volume once again drew the attention of the room's residents. The young couple, now thoroughly annoyed, was shooting hateful glares at him for once again ruining the mood. And now, the entire party from across the room was looking at them curiously.

Unlike the rest of his entourage, however, the Water Tribe man had a look of clear recognition on his face. Ketu's remark about 'the department' likely gave away their identities as members of the police force. And the Beifongs were probably the only cops in the city who could afford to eat out at Kwong's.

"Sir, Madame," a man with an incredibly long mustache curtly said in greeting. Given his formal attire, this man was likely the manager for the restaurant. "Another outburst, and I'm afraid we will have to ask you both to leave."

Ketu bowed his head in embarrassment and nodded in understanding. However, his mother merely glared at the man for daring to reprimand her. Clearly unnerved by the fact that she was unintimidated by his threat, the manager simply let out an indignant "humph" as he scurried back to the kitchen area. Ketu took a calming breath and made sure that the volume of his voice was appropriately quiet.

"I know Air Temple Island like the back of my hand, and my Seismic Sensing is better than anyone else's in the Department," Ketu said, "including yours." He added that last part with as much confidence as he could muster, but it still came out rather meek, in his opinion.

Ketu saw his mother's left eye twitch in irritation as he said that, but before she could reply, he continued on. "I'm the natural choice for this assignment. Besides, you already said it back in that interrogation room. _I _was the one who able to keep Korra from causing any more trouble after I arrived, and _I _was able to smooth over any issues that she already created." he said.

Lin was quiet for almost a full minute; the whole time, her son was holding his breath. She sighed. "I'm going to need some time to come to a decision," she finally said.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, as promised, here's Chapter 5. Sorry, there's not much action or conflict. But I hope you at least found it entertaining. Next chapter will be up in 2 weeks 10/18. Thanks for reading.**

**-Ominous Out**


	6. Chapter 6: The Big Speech

Chapter 6: The Big Speech

The City Hall in the capital of the United Republic was a massive structure. In some ways, it had to be. It was not only a place where city officials met and made decisions that governed the city, it was the seat of power for all of the United Republic.

Although not the tallest structure in Republic City, its white marble exterior and golden-colored roofs made it stand out against the city's other brown and tan-colored buildings. This drew everyone's eye to City Hall and its huge dome that towered above most of the surrounding buildings. It was clear that this building and those inside it were some of the most important in the entire city.

Korra was sitting on a bench in the lobby of City Hall. She was reading over the notes Tenzin had given her. Outside the door, there was a sea of reporters, and all of them were waiting to hear Korra give her first official statement as Avatar.

Tenzin wanted her to announce that she was only in Republic City to learn airbending, and that she would not seek out trouble until her Avatar training was complete. It was so frustrating. Korra had spent her entire life hidden away from the world. She was the Avatar; it was her duty to help people, not to be stashed away and guarded on an island so she could read through dusty, old scrolls all day.

Korra was so caught up in her inner monologue that she didn't notice that someone had walked up to her until they spoke. "You look like you're really thinking hard there, Korra," the voice came from right in front of her.

She jolted up in surprise and looked to the person who had spoken to her. "Oh, Ketu, it's good to see you," she said with a smile. Ketu was the first person she had really met after arriving in Republic City and one of the only people there who was actually friendly to her.

"You too." Ketu was smiling at the fact that he had, apparently, surprised the Avatar without meaning to. "So, I heard you're staying in the city. I guess I better send out an APB to all the traffic cops and food vendors," he teased with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Oh ha-ha," Korra said while rolling her eyes. "When you do, don't forget to mention my partner who's there to enable me by making my traffic violations go away and paying for my meals," Korra teased right back at him.

Ketu merely chuckled lightly. "Well, I can't argue with that. I'll have to remember mention your charismatic and dashingly handsome accomplice when I send out that report," he said while flexing his muscles cartoonishly.

Still sitting on the bench, Korra doubled-over in laughter at his goofy remark and subsequent antics. She had obviously been in a sour mood before Ketu had arrived. Now, after their little back-and-forth, her mood had improved a little, at least for the moment.

"So, what's eatin' you?" Ketu asked, taking a seat beside her on the bench.

His metal armor clanked as he sat down on the wooden bench. Unlike when Korra first met him, Ketu wasn't wearing a Police jacket now or his orange scarf. Instead he was wearing black, plated chest armor with gold accents around the collar and shoulders. It was similar to what she saw his mother wearing during her time in the interrogation room.

"No scarf, today?" Korra asked, hoping to deflect the question.

"Nah, we're supposed to wear the black armor when handling the press or for formal occasions. Makes us look 'more professional' or something. My scarf would've stood out. At least this get-up is easier to move around in than the regular gear," Ketu explained as he rolled his shoulders to demonstrate his improved flexibility. "So, are you gonna tell me what's bothering you?" he repeated.

Korra sighed. "It's just…I don't know what I'm supposed to say once I get out there," she said. "I've lived almost my entire life in a White Lotus compound at the South Pole. I spent most of my days training or taking tests. I haven't really ever done anything too important before. Fighting those Triads with you the other day was the first thing I've ever done that can be counted as part of my 'Avatar duties.'"

"Well, what do your note cards say?" Ketu asked, motioning to the papers still in her hands.

Looking down at them only made Korra even more frustrated. "These are just the notes your dad gave me," she replied.

She noticed that Ketu seemed to tense up slightly whenever anyone mentioned his father. There was a story there, and she would get to the bottom of it. But later. For now, she had to deal with the speech she was supposed to give to the city, as well as the questions that the press were likely to ask.

"He wants me to tell everyone that I will only be training in airbending while I'm in Republic City, and that, while I'm here, I won't be fighting criminals, like those guys we took down," Korra explained. "The thing is though, I'm not sure if that's what I really should be doing. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to help keep the whole world safe and in balance.

"But how can anyone expect me to do that if I'm not even able to keep the peace for a single city?" she asked in exacerbation. "I mean, by the time he was my age, Aang had already learned to bend all the elements, mastered the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, ended a century-long war, and was already in the process of building this very city. How am I supposed to measure up to that!?"

Ketu could tell that Korra was starting to get worked up. At this rate, she wouldn't be in any sort of condition to speak to the press. "Listen, Korra, I can understand what it's like to try to live up to _that legacy_," he said.

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "Look, Aang was a caring person and an amazing Avatar. He mastered all four elements and the Avatar State in record time, all while trying to end a war that threatened to literally destroy the world. Then afterwards, he began the process of single-handedly resurrecting a millennia-old culture that had been destroyed by that war. And he founded a completely new nation, based upon the ideals of peaceful coexistence. I know that's a lot to try to live up to," Ketu explained. "But here's what always sorta helps me when I feel like I'm failing to live up to him: the knowledge that he wasn't perfect."

Korra gave him a questioning look. Almost like she didn't believe him. However, Ketu continued, "My grandfather made a lot of mistakes along the way. He ran away after finding out he was the Avatar and ended up getting frozen in a glacier for over a hundred years. In that time, the Air Nomads were completely massacred, and 3 generations of Fire Lords were free to set the world ablaze.

"Even after he was free from the ice, Aang didn't always live up to his title or take his duties seriously. During the Siege of the North Pole, he failed to protect the Moon Spirit, and Princess Yue was forced to sacrifice herself to restore the cosmic balance that the Avatar is supposed to maintain. Later, he failed to prevent the falls of Omashu and Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation.

"In fact, he almost ended the Avatar Cycle completely when he died in the catacombs under Lake Laogai," Ketu explained. "Even that's another mistake unto itself. Until Aang revealed it to his friends, the knowledge of how to permanently end the Avatar Cycle was a closely guarded secret known only to the Avatars themselves. Now, it's practically common knowledge."

Korra looked at Ketu curiously. She was surprised to hear Ketu, the son of Tenzin, ridiculing his revered ancestor so feverously. Ketu had clearly given this a lot of thought. Being the grandson of an Avatar, as well as the grandson of two other members of that Avatar's team, likely meant Ketu had a lot to live up to. The people around him probably expected great things from him.

"Anyway," Ketu continued. "Those are just some of the mistakes my grandfather made in his first year out of the iceberg. He made plenty more later on, both in his time as Avatar...and as a father," he added almost bitterly.

"I may not have accomplished nearly as much as Avatar Aang, but I can't say that I've ever messed up as spectacularly in my entire life as he did in his first 12 years," he finished with a wry smile. Ketu then leaned back as much as he could while sitting on their bench, closed his eyes, and put his hands behind his head.

"As weird as it sounds, that does make me feel slightly better," Korra said with small smile. However, her smile quickly disappeared, and she stared hard at the floor. "But I'm still totally unprepared to be the Avatar. Did you know that when you first met me, that was the first time in my life that I was completely by myself without my parents or the White Lotus watching over me?" she asked rhetorically.

Ketu decided to just let her say what she needed to say. The young Avatar obviously needed to vent out her frustrations, and he was willing to listen.

"I hardly even got a say as to who my teachers were. They just brought all the best instructors to me and that was it. No argument," Korra continued. "Throughout history, all the other Avatars traveled the world searching for their own teachers. They helped people along the way and learned what it meant to be the Avatar during their travels.

"Yet, the White Lotus keep insisting that it was _Aang_ who told them to keep me locked up at the South Pole until my training was complete. Why would he do that?" her voice raising as she continued. "I mean, he had no one to tell him how to be the Avatar, and yet he accomplished more in a year than most Avatars accomplish in their entire lives."

"I thought I just told you," Ketu said as if it was plainly obvious.

Korra gave him a puzzled look in response.

He sighed. "You said my grandfather didn't have anyone to teach him how to be the Avatar. He was unprepared. And as a result, he made a lot of mistakes in his time as Avatar, mistakes that cost people their lives…things like that tend to follow you," he said solemnly.

Korra then remembered that Ketu had said he with the United Forces before becoming a police officer. He probably lost comrades in the line of duty.

A realization struck her. "Aang didn't want for me to be unprepared…like he was," Korra said.

"Yes," Ketu answered, "but not just because he wanted you to do a 'good job' as the Avatar. Aang wanted you to be as prepared as you could be for whatever you might face. He didn't want for you, his successor, to have to live with as much guilt and regret throughout your life as he did."

Ketu took a small breath as he tried to sort out his final thoughts. "I can't say for sure if Aang was right or wrong. I just think that it's important for you to understand the man."

They sat in silence for a moment pondering what Ketu had just said before Korra finally spoke, "Hey Ketu, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," he replied.

"You're the grandson of Toph, Katara, _and_ Avatar Aang. People probably expect a lot out of you, right?" Korra asked. "Are you ever worried that you may not be able to live up to those expectations?"

Ketu smiled to himself. It was obvious that Korra was finding it difficult to deal with people's expectations of her, and she was trying to get advice without actually admitting that it was getting to her.

"Well, that's a—," Ketu began.

However, just as he was about to answer, he was interrupted as a short, old man with grey hair walked into the lobby as he opened the doors to the entrance. From his plain, yet formal attire, it was clear that this man was some sort of secretary or assistant. Most likely, he worked for one of the Council members.

"Avatar Korra, they're ready for you," the man said in a very nasally voice.

From the other side of the opened doors, Korra and Ketu could hear the raucous noise of dozens of reporters as they either talked amongst themselves or tried in vain to get the assembled Councilmen or police onstage to answer questions.

"Well, I guess we'd better get out there," Ketu said, pushing himself up off the bench.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Korra replied as they made their way to the door.

Ketu reached out and held the door open for her and the old council page. The older man quickly made his way out the door and moved to stand behind the line of council members.

Korra, however, decided to stop in the middle of the doorway as she was walking past Ketu. "Hey, Ketu…thanks for what you said in there. I may not have any idea what to say when I get out there, but I feel a lot better than I did before you talked to me."

"Huh? Oh yeah, happy to help," he said quickly.

Ketu was scratching an area above his lip as he answered her, which made his response come out slightly muffled. He also seemed to be looking at an area above the sea of reporters.

Korra was confused. She didn't see anything in the direction Ketu was looking, but maybe he was just doing a sweep of the area or something since he was a cop. However, the slight pink tinting on his cheeks made her think that he was nervous about something.

* * *

Irritation seemed to be an almost near-constant state of being for Lin Beifong for the last couple of days, ever since the Avatar had arrived in her city. The day before, Tenzin had contacted her saying that the Avatar wanted to give some sort of 'welcome-to-the-city' speech. It was supposed to be a small event with minimal staff and only a few questions from the reporters. She and Tenzin were supposed to be the only city officials that would be on the stage with the Avatar.

That suited Lin just fine; she didn't want to have to allocate too many of her metalbenders to overseeing this gathering. The various Triads of the city were getting ready to start some sort of turf war with one another, and the Equalist movement was gaining speed as their rhetoric was starting to get more extreme. Taking too many cops off the street, at any given time, could embolden the city's criminal element.

Unfortunately, word had gotten out about the Avatar's planned speech and the other councilmen had insisted on being onstage with the Avatar as well. Apparently, they couldn't pass up the photo opportunity to be seen rubbing elbows with the Avatar on her 'first day in the city,' as they tried to spin it.

The addition of the entire United Republic Council also brought in the addition of even more reporters and various other prominent individuals, such as the head of Cabbage Corp or the owner of the Pro-bending arena, who wished to be there when the Avatar gave her speech.

What was only supposed to be a moderate-sized crowd that should have been able to fit into the plaza in front of City Hall, was now so large that it, not only, filled the plaza, but also spilled out into the streets and the surrounding blocks. This meant that Lin had to assign a lot more personnel to the event than she had originally wanted.

Currently, she, Saikhan, and two other officers were standing at attention in their dress uniforms to the right of the assembled councilmen. Saikhan was a captain in the police department and her righthand man. There were also several dozen of her metalbenders patrolling the area around the large gathering of reporters and various civilian onlookers.

With all the press as well as the entire United Republic Council present, the entire scene was almost pure chaos. Most of the reporters were desperately trying to shout over one another as they tried to provoke answers from the Councilmen or her group of policemen up onstage. Although Lin, her men, and Tenzin, pointedly ignored or decided not to answer any questions addressed to them, the other council members, Tarrlok in particular, seemed to revel in the attention that all the press was giving to them.

All the while, Ketu, who was supposed to be standing beside Lin up on the stage, per her _personal _request, was missing from their group. He claimed to need a bathroom break before the whole event got started, and he had disappeared inside the City Hall building for over 30 minutes.

He likely knew the kind of madness that was about to ensue, so he decided that it would be best to hide inside City Hall until the very last minute. Lin wasn't sure what irritated her more: the fact that her own son had abandoned her here with the snooty councilmen and irritating reporters or the fact that she hadn't thought to do it first.

It was getting close to the appointed time for the Avatar to give her speech, so Lin had sent in one of the councilmen's pages to find her son and to send the Avatar out to give her speech. Ketu must not have been too far away since the door opened back up in less than a minute. She saw her son holding the door open for the page and the Avatar. However, what Lin saw next made her grind her teeth in frustration.

After she saw the council page walk through the door her son was holding open, Lin had been expecting to see the Avatar walk out after him. What she hadn't expected was for the young woman to stop right in the middle of the door frame to talk to her son.

Upon seeing the Avatar walking out of the building, the reporters had begun to frantically shout questions, so Lin couldn't hear what her son or the girl were saying. Also from the angle where she was standing, Lin couldn't see the Avatar's face, only her back.

However, what she could see was how _very close_ the two of them were standing. And given the look on her son's face and the way he was scratching the area above his lip; he was well aware of how close to him the young woman was standing as well. Whenever Ketu was embarrassed or nervous about something, he would always scratch at the small scar on his lip.

As the two teenagers were talking, Lin noticed several flashes coming from the crowd of reporters. They obviously didn't want to miss the opportunity to catch the Avatar as she was standing so _intimately close_ with one of Republic City's Finest. Hoping to prevent even more fuel from being added to the fire, Lin raised her left heel and brought it down hard, sending a small earthbending shockwave towards Ketu. If the brat's Seismic Sensing was as good as he liked to claim, then he should be able to get the message to wrap it up.

It must have worked since Ketu quickly looked in his mother's direction. From how she was biting into her lower lip and the way her left eye seemed to be twitching violently, Ketu could tell that he had _really_ messed up somehow. That was the same look that Lin had given him when he accidentally dropped his grandmother's meteorite bracelet down the toilet.

Lin had been so upset that she made her 9 year-old son go and search through the sewers to find it. She was so angry that day, not even Tenzin objected to their son's punishment. Merely, telling the young boy to use plenty of shampoo when he got back after finding the lost jewelry.

Ketu quickly said some parting words to the Avatar and scuttled towards his mother and the other police with his head bowed down in embarrassment. As Ketu moved to stand with his fellow officers, the Avatar made her way up to the podium to address the reporters and the rest of the city that was listening in over their radios.

As the young Avatar stood at the podium, the raucous noise from the assembled reporters and civilians began to die down as silence descended upon the scene. It was quite clear that the young woman was very nervous as she took in the massive crowd, clearly not expecting _that many_ people to come and listen to her speak.

She cleared her throat and took a deep, calming breath. "Hello, I'm Korra," she began somewhat awkwardly, "your new Avatar."

There was a momentary pause as the crowd waited to see if she would continue. After about a second and a half of silence, the reporters decided that was their queue to start launching questions.

"Does this mean you've moved to Republic City?"

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads the other day?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?"

"Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?"

The young woman seemed to be struggling to keep up with all the questions she was being bombarded with but tried her best to keep up. "Uh, yes, I am definitely here to stay, but honestly, I don't exactly have a plan yet. See I'm still in training," the self-proclaimed 'New Avatar' tried to explain. "Look, someone recently told me that Avatar Aang wanted for me to be as prepared as I could be for the tasks ahead of me. So, for the time being, I'm going to focus on my airbending training."

_That response_ certainly surprised the chief of police. When the reporter asked the Avatar if she would be fighting the Triads and Equalists, Lin had half-expected the hot-headed Water Tribe girl to jump on top of the podium and challenge Amon and all the Triad bosses to a duel in the town square.

The reporters quickly tried to bombard the young Avatar with more question. However, she continued on with what she wanted to say, ignoring the reporters desperate attempts to grab her attention. "I intend to finish my training as soon as I can, so I can begin my duties as the Avatar," the young woman explained. "I know Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world, where people from all walks of life could come together. I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you! I am so happy to be here. Thank you Republic City!"

* * *

In a dark, poorly lit basement a group of freedom fighters had just finished listening to the propaganda perpetuated by their corrupt government. An older, lanky man dressed in dark grey and brown leather armor quickly clicked off the radio in frustration. He looked around the small enclosed space to see the reactions of his fellow Equalists. Although he could not see their faces behind the black masks and glowing green goggles, he could tell from their body language that their confidence has been shaken.

It was hard to believe that, with only a few words, a single young woman could so quickly rock the entire foundation of their movement. He couldn't believe it. He had dedicated his entire life to tearing down the immoral system that was subjugating his people. He had even given up his own identity for the cause, becoming known only as 'the Lieutenant,' Amon's greatest soldier and righthand man.

He was a symbol to non-benders everywhere, proof that even _they_ could become great warriors capable of standing up to their oppressors. The Lieutenant was a strong leader; he wasn't one of the many faceless and unidentifiable Equalist foot soldiers. And although he did wear a mask with goggles to protect himself in battle, unlike the other Equalists, his nose, mouth, and chin were exposed, as well as his long, thin mustache. Showing that while he was an elite soldier, he was still very much a human.

The Lieutenant turned to a dark, hooded figure in the corner. "Amon," he said in a gravelly voice, "how do you want to handle this?"

The hooded figure was facing a wall of maps. The maps were of not only Republic City, but the entire United Republic. He was studying them, making plans upon plans. He took another moment more before turning to face his Lieutenant, revealing the bone-white mask of Amon.

"So, the Avatar has arrived early. But she seems to be far more cautious than we anticipated," Amon said as he took a step closer to the map of Republic City, analyzing it almost as if it were a Pai Sho board. "It looks like we'll have to modify our plans."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so here's Chapter 6, and we've _finally_ made it to the end of Episode 1. Didn't think that it would be this slow of a burn when I first started writing this. B****ut whatever. ****This chapter's a bit longer than the previous ones. I'm trying to keep the chapters between 3,000-4,500 words. Long enough to move the story along, but not so long that I end up spending 3 or 4 months writing just one chapter.**

**Also, if faved/followed and your notifications spammed you, I'm sorry. I saw some grammatical errors in Chapters 3-5 as I was re-reading them, and my OCD just would not let me leave them alone. I'll try to keep a better eye out from now on. Anyway, you can expect Chapter 7 to be posted in 2 weeks 11/1. I _might_ (big MIGHT) get it out in a week 10/25, depending on how quick I can finish the chapter I'm working on. ****I'm trying to keep a couple chapters ahead, so that you guys can get new chapters on a consistent basis. ****The only reason I sort of want to release Chapter 7 early is because it kind of ties into this one. **

**As always, Thanks for reading. And please leave a review.**

**-Ominous Out**


	7. Chapter 7: Public Speaking

Chapter 7: Public Speaking

Public speaking is never easy. In fact, glossophobia, the fear of speaking to large groups, is said to be humanity's greatest terror. Supposedly, there were more people in the world who claimed that public speaking was the most frightening thing to imagine than there were who claimed to fear death more than anything else.

Ketu wasn't sure if that were true, or if the people who said that public speaking was the scariest thing they could imagine simply hadn't considered the possibility of death when asked. Nevertheless, Ketu knew the dread that one faced when speaking to large groups of people.

It was strange really. He never had an issue facing down firebenders, triads, and pirates. He never so much as flinched. That wasn't to say that he had social anxiety or something. He interacted with people all the time at work or other social gatherings. But the moment he was supposed to give a toast at a birthday party with only a couple dozen people, all of them suddenly focused solely on him, the only thing Ketu wanted to do was curl up into a ball in the corner.

In battle, a person can't control how the enemy will act, at least not completely. Oddly enough, one can find a certain comfort in that fact, since they need only to worry about what the enemy will do, and how they should react. It's a push and pull relationship, one that can even be predictable up to a certain point.

With things like public speaking, however, there is no enemy to face down, to react to. There's only you. If you fail, it won't be because the enemy outmaneuvered you or overwhelmed you with their superior numbers. If you fail, it will be because your own body, your own mind, betrayed you in some way. That loss of control is scary, and more often than not, it is that fear which causes most people to mess up when trying to speak clearly. It was a truly horrific cycle.

Although, he'd gotten much better at speaking to crowds, especially after Commander Bumi made him an officer. Ketu would still feel a certain anxiousness when talking with large groups of people. So when Korra succeeded in giving a speech to such a huge crowd filled with reporters waiting to take advantage of any little thing she might accidentally let slip, he could respect the courage it took to stand up there and say what she needed. Especially, if what she told him was true, and she really had been raised completely sheltered in a compound her whole life.

Korra had started her speech a little shaky, clearly uncertain about her ability to share her ideas and feelings. But as she continued, she gained confidence and managed to finish her speech on a positive note about coming together and continuing his grandfather's dream of a united world. It was a simple, little bit of dialogue and not overly elegant, but she managed to clearly convey how she felt and didn't go rambling off topic like many politicians tended to do.

When Korra's speech ended, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Apparently, Republic City was as happy to have the Avatar with them as she was to be there. Luckily for Korra, Ketu's father quickly stepped up and gently ushered her away from the microphones.

"Alright, that's all the questions the Avatar has time for," Tenzin said as he directed the young woman towards the back of the stage to stand near the other councilmen. "Any further questions can be directed to Chief Beifong, myself, and my fellow Council members."

The other four member of the United Republic's Council quickly moved to stand with Tenzin. Most likely, they were hoping to steal as much 'airtime' as possible while being associated with the new Avatar. Ketu's mother, however, moved at a much more sedate pace. He wasn't sure, but Ketu believed that he caught Republic City's Chief of Police subtly rolling her eyes at the thought of answering questions for the press.

Ketu glanced to his left. He saw Korra standing beside the representatives for the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. Most likely, she was slightly embarrassed about the small hiccup at the beginning of her speech.

The Water Tribe men, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to subtly draw as much attention to themselves as possible; standing as tall as they could while puffing out their chests. Just in case the picture on tomorrow's front page was a picture of them standing side-by-side with the Avatar.

The Southern representative was probably the oldest member of the Council, easily in his late-70's. He was balding, and what little of his light-silver hair he had left was done in a simple ponytail. Even standing as tall as he could, his short and unassuming build didn't even measure up to the young woman he was standing beside. His baggy clothes were not at all stylish or eye-catching, and the large, clearly fake grin that he had plastered on his normally dour face was almost cringe-inducing.

The man was so bland and forgettable that Ketu couldn't even remember his name. The Northern representative, however, was different. Ketu had never met the man; he merely knew him by reputation. His name was Tarrlok, and he was the Chairman for the United Republic Council.

Tarrlok was almost the complete opposite of his Southern counterpart in every respect. He was comparatively young, being only in his mid-30's. His clothes were stylish and fit his frame in a way that accentuated his incredibly fit build. His hair was just as stylish, most likely done by a professional hairdresser, with two ponytails going down his back and his bangs framing his handsome features. And his smile was easygoing and natural, giving off the impression that he was genuinely happy to be there. Everything about the man said that while he was charismatic and very cultured, he was also quite approachable. Tarrlok was everything every other politician wished they were.

The press conference went on for a while after that. All of the council members were asked what they thought of the new Avatar and her decision to focus on training. Other than his father who was 'very proud that Korra decided to focus on her airbending training,' they all gave your generic 'we support the Avatar and any decisions she makes' response.

Very bland, also very open-ended, just in case Korra changed her mind. That way, depending on what the results were, they could condone or condemn any of her actions without having to worry about contradicting themselves.

The reporters then moved on and turned their attention to his mother. They asked about the ever-present threat of the Triads and how the Department planned to deal with them. They also wanted to know her thoughts about the expanding Equalist movement.

Her response was simple and not very specific. Both because she enjoyed dealing with the press about as much as Ketu, and because she didn't want criminals to go on high alert as they worried what the police were planning. She assured the public that the Republic City Police Department was the best in the world, and that they could handle any threat that the city might face. The chief also refused to take a stance on either side of the Equalist issue, but warned that anyone who broke the law would face justice.

The press apparently liked that response. Even all the way up on the stage, Ketu could hear as dozens of pens scratched across notepads following his mother's statement. However, it was the next question that really put Ketu on edge.

"Will the Police Department be working with the Avatar to help catch criminals?" a reporter standing almost directly in front of Ketu asked.

Whether it was intentional or not, the way that the reporter had phrased the question seemed to suggest that the police would be assisting the Avatar with her job. Almost like the police couldn't catch criminals on their own.

Even with a generally positive opinion of Korra, Ketu was slightly insulted by the reporters insinuation. Given the rigid posture of his fellow officers, he could tell that they were taking it about as well as he was. And given her rather low opinion of the new Avatar, Ketu could only imagine that his mother was seething at the implication.

Perhaps it was because he was her son and he grew up learning all the subtleties of her moods. Or maybe he was just paranoid as he waited for the inevitable fallout that the ignorant reporter's question had wrought. But when he heard his mother reply in an incredibly calm and even tone, alarm bells immediately started to go off in Ketu's head.

"The Avatar's duty is to maintain peace between the nations of the world, not to catch petty criminals," Lin said matter-of-factly. "However, seeing as she will be staying in Republic City for the foreseeable future, the Republic City Police Department has decided that it will make some…accommodations for its city's new Avatar should she feel the need to protect herself or others. After all, Avatar Aang was known to assist the Police on occasion back when my mother was Chief."

Whatever it was that Ketu was expecting to hear, it wasn't that. Just the evening before, his mother had gone on a whole tirade about how the Avatar wasn't needed and how the Police Department had been more than capable of maintaining peace and order on their own for the last 2 decades. Now she was practically inviting Korra to hang out at the station and eat donuts. What had happened after they left the restaurant last night to cause his mother to suddenly change her mind?

* * *

If there were two things about Lin Beifong that Korra knew from their brief encounter the other day, it was this. One, the woman had most likely never cracked a smile in her entire life. And two, she absolutely couldn't stand Korra.

Republic City's Chief of Police had made it abundantly clear that Korra being the Avatar meant 'diddlysquat' when it came to taking the law into her own hands. And that her mother and Aang's relationship was 'ancient history' as far as their own relationship was concerned.

And yet, now, here she was saying that the police would be willing to cut Korra some slack and work with her. Was Ketu the cause for this sudden change in his mother's demeanor? Korra would like to think that the two of them were friends, or at least becoming friends. But still, what could he have said in her defense that would make his mother's opinion of her do a complete 180 based off of a single encounter. An encounter in which he spent most of the time cleaning up her messes, no less.

"Someone sure has changed her tune," Korra said under her breath.

"Perhaps someone had a word with our distinguished Chief of Police about your prior treatment," a voice came from her left.

Korra jerked her head in surprise. She hadn't intended for anyone to hear her slightly bitter remark.

"Oh, forgive me, Avatar Korra. I didn't mean to startle you," a tall, handsome Water Tribe man said. "I'm Councilman Tarrlok. I'm the Representative for the Northern Water Tribe and the Chairman for the United Republic Council. But please call me Tarrlok," he finished with a friendly smile.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you," she said. "And you can just call me Korra."

"Thank you, Korra," Tarrlok replied as they turned his attention back to Lin's speech.

"In an effort to better coordinate with the Avatar, the Republic City Police will be assigning her a bodyguard," the police chief said stiffly as she continued on.

Korra's face took on a sour look as she furrowed her brow in frustration. Did the police think that she wasn't capable of looking out for herself? Luckily for the young Avatar, she didn't need to make a spectacle in order to get her question answered as several reporters did that for her.

"Chief Beifong, do you believe that the Avatar is unable to adequately protect herself?"

"Has the Avatar been threatened by the Triple Threats or the Equalists?" another asked.

"No, the Avatar hasn't received any threats since arriving in the city," Lin said quickly. She wanted to cut any rumors like that in the bud. "And it's been made abundantly clear that she is more than capable of defending herself," she explained.

"The reason I've decided that the Avatar needs a bodyguard is twofold. First, I don't believe that there's ever such a thing as 'too safe' when it comes to protection. Second, the Police Department doesn't exactly have an 'Avatar Liaison Office.' A bodyguard will be able to work with the police and have the authority to arrest criminals while still remaining with the Avatar at all times."

Korra began to calm down after hearing Chief Beifong's reasoning. That didn't sound too bad, actually. At the very least, she wouldn't have to spend as much time in interrogation rooms...hopefully. Besides, the White Lotus had basically turned Air Temple Island into a fortress with dozens of sentries already providing security. What was one more uniform?

"Who will you be assigning to work with the Avatar?" a reporter asked.

"Will Captain Saikhan be in charge of the Avatar's protection?" another followed up.

On the opposite end of the stage, Korra could see a shorter, balding man standing beside Ketu. She guessed he was Saikhan considering he seemed to stand a little taller and raise his chin a little higher after hearing the reporters ask if he would be her be her bodyguard.

Ugh, he seemed just like all the other old people from the Order of the White Lotus who constantly told her study harder or not to get ahead of herself. She didn't need another babysitter.

Luckily, the chief of police quickly denied that suggestion. "Captain Saikhan already has enough duties to perform without asking him to relocate to Air Temple Island," she explained. "Additionally, I rely on him and his leadership abilities to help run the department. Having him act as a bodyguard would be underutilizing his skills.

"That said, I do intend to make sure that the Avatar has one of our best as her bodyguard. The man I'm assigning to this task is a combat veteran with years of experience as a soldier with United Forces. He graduated second in his class from the Royal Fire Navy Academy. Most importantly, he excels in reconnaissance and threat detection, and he is intimately familiar with the layout of Air Temple Island."

The crowd of reporters had begun to murmur as they speculated as to who the chief was referring to. Next to her, Korra noticed that as Lin was speaking Tarrlok's friendly smile had begun to morph into what could only be described as a satisfied smirk.

"As I'm sure many of you have already figured out, I am, of course, referring to my son, Officer Ketu Beifong," Lin declared. "He will be the Avatar's new bodyguard. Until further notice, he will be living full-time on Air Temple Island with the Avatar, and he will be accompanying her any time she ventures into the city."

A whole flurry of questions then erupted from the crowd of reporters. So many in fact, that Korra couldn't even make out what a single one of them was trying to say. It only got worse the longer it went on as each person tried to drown out their neighbors by shouting over them.

Korra herself had her own questions. If Ketu knew he was going to be her bodyguard, why hadn't he said anything when they were talking before? And if he hadn't known, why would his mother choose _now_ of all times to tell him, in front of the entire world?

Chief Beifong then calmly placed her hand on top of the microphone. She must have used her metalbending since Korra didn't see her make any other physical movement; what followed was an incredibly loud _SCREECH_ over the loudspeakers. The sound was so loud that Korra, the councilmen, and even Lin's fellow police officers were forced to cover their ears. The rambunctious crowd quickly fell silent as their senses were assaulted by the offensive noise.

Despite everyone else's discomfort, Lin seemed completely unfazed. And as soon as the rowdy reporters had calmed down, she took her hand off the microphone, ending her auditory abuse. "Now," she said in an eerily calm voice, "if you're all done mewling like a bunch of ravenous catgators, then you can _civilly _ask the Avatar's new bodyguard any questions you might have."

With that, the chief of police walked away from the podium without saying another word and moved to take her previous position beside her fellow officers. All eyes then turned to Korra's newly-assigned bodyguard.

To Ketu's credit, the only sign that he was at all shocked by this development was the fact that his hands, which had previously been clasped behind his back similar to the other officers, were now hanging limply at his side. However, he seemed to be frozen in place and didn't start to move until his mother _subtly_ cleared her throat. At which point, he hurriedly moved up to the podium.

"Um, hello, Republic City," Ketu said. Unfortunately, his voice just so happened to crack as he said the word 'City.' However, he quickly cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and continued on with much more confidence. "I am Officer Ketu Beifong of the Republic City Police Department, former Lieutenant of the United Forces, and from this day forward, bodyguard to Avatar Korra. I'm honored by the trust that the chief and the rest of the department has placed in me, and I will carry out this task to the best of my abilities…Uh—now, I'd be happy to answer a few questions—"

As soon as Korra's new bodyguard mentioned the word 'questions,' all the previous chaos from just a moment ago came back. However, Ketu calmly placed his hand over the microphone in a similar manner to his mother. This action quickly brought an uneasy silence to the assembly.

Then in a calm, yet clearly threatening voice, he finished his previous statement. "As I said, I'd be happy to answer a few questions…_one at a time_."

It was a few moments before one of the reporters to finally work up enough courage to speak. "Um, Officer Beifong, do _you_ believe that Avatar Korra needs a bodyguard for her protection?"

Korra was curious as to the answer to that question as well. What did her new friend think of her? Now that Korra admitted that she had lived almost her entire life in a White Lotus compound, did he think that she was some sort of sheltered princess that needed constant protection? After all, that's what the White Lotus and Tenzin, his father, seemed to think.

"As the chief said, we believe that Korra is more than capable of taking care of herself. Her…encounter with the Triads after she arrived has proven that. The main purpose of this arrangement is to maintain an open line of dialogue between the Avatar and the police department," Ketu said. "However, if there's one thing I learned with the United Forces it's that it's always best to work with others. The idea of one person rushing to face down an entire army singlehanded may seem valiant and make for good storytelling, but in the real world, the best you can hope for in that situation is a martyr."

The crowds let that gloomy note hang in the air for a minute before a short man wearing gold-framed glasses finally asked another question. "Is it true that you were the officer that Avatar Korra first met after arriving in the city?"

"Yes," Ketu answered simply.

"Eyewitness reports even say that you were seen aiding the Avatar in dealing with any repercussions for the chaos she caused," the older man said.

"I don't believe that was a question," Ketu said, prompting him to get to the point.

"Do you believe that you're giving the Avatar preferential treatment given your…family relation?" the reporter asked.

"Wait," Ketu said in a surprised voice, and he quickly turned to look at Korra. "We're related?!"

Korra quickly blushed as she simultaneously felt all eyes turn towards her and she considered the possibility of her and Ketu being blood relatives. This, as well as Ketu's slightly alarmed reaction to the question, brought forth some light chuckling from those attending.

"No, no, no," the reporter quickly corrected. "I meant that given she is the reincarnation of Avatar Aang, your grandfather, are you giving her preferential treatment."

Korra hadn't considered that. Maybe Ketu was only nice to her given her connection to Aang. If she wasn't the Avatar would he have helped her as much as he had?

"Oh," Ketu said in understanding. "Well, if I thought of Korra as my grandfather…mother," he trailed off as he considered that line of thought.

"Anyway, if I thought of her like that, then I'd be asking her to set my father's curfew _extra_ early," Ketu said as he wagged his finger like he was scolding a child, "and tell him that there's no airball or playing with Oogi until his room is swept and his plate is clean."

Raucous laughter then erupted from the crowd of onlookers. Korra looked to see the reactions those around her. Most of the councilmen were chuckling, as were the other police officers onstage. Tarrlok merely had an amused smile on his face. While Tenzin rolled his eyes in exasperation as everyone got a laugh at his expense.

Even the chief of police was forced to cover her smile as she thought of the teenage girl reprimanding the airbending master who was twice her age as though he were an unruly child.

The amusement continued for a few more minutes before dying down. As it did, the clocktower across from City Hall began to gong, letting the city know that it was now the top of a new hour. "Well, I believe that's all the time we have," Ketu said. Clearly, he was hoping to wrap this press conference up quickly. "I'm sure all your listeners are already waiting to hear tonight's Pro-bending pre-game."

Just as Ketu was turning to leave the podium one last reporter called out. "Officer Beifong, while we're on the topic of preferential treatment, do you believe that you were given this important assignment because you are the chief of police's son?"

Ketu was still for moment before he spoke. Korra could tell from his rigid stance and the way he was gripping the side of the podium, that despite the calm and collected voice he spoke in, Ketu was very irritated by that reporters insinuation.

"I believe that my record speaks for itself."

* * *

**Whew!**

**Got another chapter done in less than a week. Alright so, here's Chapter 7. As I said last week, I won't usually be doing weekly updates like this, but this one kinda went with the last one.**

**And before everyone spams me about deleting Chapter 6 and the issue with Chapter 4 last week: Yes, I'm an idiot, and I realized the mistakes as soon as I made them and corrected them immediately. It just takes a few minutes for the servers to update. In the future, please refrain spamming me about that stuff. As I said, I realized the mistake immediately and it takes about a half hour for the servers to fix them. However, if it gets to be a couple hours and the mistake isn't fixed, then you have my permission to bug me until I fix it.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed Chapter 7. Next one will be out in 2 weeks 11/8. As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review. Getting positive feedback is the only reason I tried so hard and gave you an extra chapter this week.**

**-Ominous Out**


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome Home

Chapter 8: Welcome Home

Air Temple Island was considered by many to be a cultural icon, a center of spirituality and enlightenment. Admission on and off the island was heavily regulated, so it often evoked a sense of curiosity in those who were not ever fortunate enough to set foot on its hallowed grounds.

In his own time, Avatar Aang considered the island a sanctuary. Not only did it serve as a place for him to escape the hustle and bustle of life in the quickly developing city that sat just on the other side of the bay, it allowed him to take a step back into the past, to a time before he knew he was the Avatar, when his life knew only peace and happiness. This illusion of period from almost 2 centuries ago was reflected in simple lifestyle that the residents of the island chose to live, both the humans and the herd of sky bison that called this place their home.

The numerous blue-roofed pagodas across the island were all built in the traditional Air Nomad style. More specifically, they matched the architecture of the Southern Air Temple, Aang's boyhood home.

Ketu's revered ancestor may have considered Air Temple Island to be some sort of holy sanctuary, but to him, it was just home. It was where he lived every other week when he was a child. It was where he learned to read and write with the children of the Air Acolytes in the island's temple, and where they all played with Oogi outside the meditation pavilion after the lessons were done. Over the years, his home was the center for many parties and family gatherings, first for him and then eventually for Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo as well. It was on Air Temple Island that he first learned he was an earthbender.

It had been almost 5 years since Ketu had stayed on the Island. That wasn't to say that he hadn't ever visited the island over the years. Quite the opposite in fact, he and his Uncle Bumi would visit every year to celebrate Yanchen's Festival with Aunt Kya and Gran-Gran. The two military men also tried to swing by to celebrate the Airbending Kids' birthdays whenever they could. However, more often than not, they would only be able to make it to one or two a year.

These were usually short visits. They would dock the battleship in the morning and would set course for their next assignment before the sun had set. And on the few occasions when he could stay longer, Ketu would always stay with his mother in the city.

Ketu was straightening his police uniform as the small wooden ferry pulled into the single dock on Air Temple Island. Apparently, since he was assigned to protect an important individual, and would therefore be constantly in the public's eye, Ketu was required to wear his formal black armor at all times from now on. On the plus side, he was allowed to wear his scarf with it since he had already gotten special dispensation beforehand.

And since he no longer had a jacket to store them in, Ketu now had his metal cuffs hanging from his belt. All four were linked together into a pseudo chain that clanked with every step. Normally, he'd be carrying at least twice as many. But considering he was on bodyguard duty, and not on patrol, the odds of him having to make multiple arrests was quite low.

Ketu gathered up his bags as the ferry creaked to a halt. He had a single duffle bag as well as two small, hard cases. In the duffle, he had packed about a week's worth of civilian outfits, as well as his standard-issue patrol uniform should he need it, and various toiletries. One of the cases contained a spare set of black armor which he had been issued after receiving his new assignment.

And in the other, he packed along his personal radio. Not a police radio, the White Lotus already had one installed at their outpost on the island, so Ketu didn't need to bring one along. It was the radio from his living room that he used to listen to the news and Pro-bending matches.

There were 3 White Lotus sentries waiting for him on the dock, as well as the usual contingent of Air Acolytes who stayed near the docks to greet visitors to the island.

"Ah, Officer Beifong," the leader of the group of sentries greeted. "Master Tenzin informed us you would be arriving. He and the Avatar should be finishing their breakfasts right about now."

"Understood, thank you…Sir," Ketu said uncertainly. He wasn't sure how he should address members of the White Lotus. Ketu knew that the Order members didn't have any sort of authority over him. But he wasn't familiar with their ranking system, and referring to the man simply as 'guard' or 'sentry' seemed somewhat demeaning.

"If you would like, I'm sure the Air Acolytes could take your bags to your quarters while you meet up with your father and the Avatar," the man suggested.

"Actually," one of the older Air Acolytes interjected with a deep scowl on his face, "we have other duties to attend to. The…_officer_ will just have to make do on his own." And with that, he and the other Acolytes quickly turned and made their way up the path towards the island's main complex.

The White Lotus sentry sent a questioning look to their backs as the group of monks moved away.

"It's alright," Ketu said to the sentry, giving the man a reassuring smile. "I needed to check out my room anyway."

* * *

It was a warm, autumn morning on Air Temple Island; still early enough in the season that it wasn't cold, but just late enough that the temperatures never got too high. There was a cool, gentle breeze coming up off the ocean that the sky bison seemed to love to fly in. In Tenzin's opinion, it was the perfect day to practice airbending. He and the young Avatar, Korra, were eating breakfast in the dining hall, along with about a dozen or so Air Acolytes as they all got ready to start their day.

Well, he was _trying_ to eat. Korra, meanwhile, was busy, animatedly reading from the sports column in the paper directly across from him. However, it wasn't the young woman's sport's commentating that was distracting Tenzin from his meal. It was the story and accompanying photo on the newspaper's other side that held his attention.

As expected, the front-page story was all about Korra arriving in Republic City. What Tenzin hadn't expected was the large photo that took up almost half the article itself. It was an image of Korra and his oldest son standing almost chest-to-chest in the doorway of City Hall.

Tenzin had skimmed through the story before Korra came in. And although they somehow managed to hit on all of the major points of the interview, it mostly read like a gossip rag. It was littered with various theories and opinions about the nature of the relationship between the new Avatar and her new bodyguard.

When did they meet? How long had the 'been together?' If they weren't together now, how long would it take for them to get together? Was the 'whole bodyguard thing' just a ruse to spend more time together?

The speculations only got more ridiculous the longer you read. Tenzin could tell from the not-so-subtle glances that the Air Acolytes kept sending Korra that they too had read the article. Korra, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the stares and the story itself. After sitting down, she immediately picked up the paper, and turned to the sports section without even bothering to look at any of the other articles.

"And in the final round, the Buzzard Wasps won with a decisive knockout," Korra said excitedly as she finally set the paper down. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches?" she asked.

"That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending," Tenzin replied. Though he was happy for any sort of distraction from that accursed article, he still wasn't pleased about Korra's interest in that nonsense. "It was bad enough that Lin let our son participate in it when he was younger," Tenzin mused.

"Wait, Ketu was a Pro-bender?" Korra asked in astonishment.

"He was in the _Junior_-bending league," Tenzin clarified. "Besides, he gave up on it, when he realized how useless and distracting such a barbaric display is."

"Come on Tenzin. I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid," Korra said unperturbed, "and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena."

"Korra, you're not here to watch that drivel, you're here to finish your Avatar training," Tenzin said. He was clearly beginning to become frustrated. "In order to learn airbending, I believe you require a calm, quiet environment, free from any distractions," he explained.

"Alright," Korra relented, "you're the master."

Although she said that she agreed, Tenzin could still see the longing look in Korra's eyes as she turned to look across the bay in the same direction as the Pro-bending Arena. Tenzin merely sighed before taking another sip of his morning tea.

* * *

Ketu took in the sights of the island as he made his way to the main complex to check in with his father. Overall, not much had changed since he left.

That made sense. After all, the Air Acolytes were trying to emulate a culture which had been wiped out almost 2 centuries ago. Changing to fit the times would kind of defeat the whole purpose. Though the island's grounds may not have changed over the years, the way its people perceived him sure had.

From his earliest memories, Ketu remembered the Air Acolytes treating him like a prince, pandering to his every need. Now that he was older, he understood why. He was the firstborn the son of the head of the Air Nation and the world's last airbender.

Even as a child, Ketu could tell that the Air Acolytes' behavior around him had been changing steadily over the years. It had started shortly before Jinora was born, just after he learned he was an earthbender…like his mom. This change in behavior only became all the clearer after the feast that was held in honor of the first airbender to be born after Aang's death.

He was about 10 years-old when Jinora first displayed her airbending. She wasn't even 2 years-old, but when her mother, Pema, tickled her toes Jinora whipped up a gentle breeze in a fit of giggles that swirled around the room they were in. She was the youngest bender Ketu had ever heard of.

Although the sudden indifference that most of the island's residents now had for him was somewhat jarring for Ketu's younger self, the Acolytes still had a certain respect for him as Tenzin's son and were never outright hostile to the young boy. No, the contempt that most of them now had for him didn't come around until he left with his uncle to join the United Forces.

Before he could ponder any further on his past, however, Ketu was interrupted from his musing as he heard giggling behind him. He looked behind his back and saw two female Air Acolytes with giddy grins on their faces. They seemed to only be two or three years younger than him.

Realizing that Ketu had spotted them, they both blushed heavily and turned away from his gaze, but they still had nervous smiles on their faces as they shyly turned their eyes towards him. Ketu smiled at their antics and sent them a small wave before turning away. As he continued on the path, he could still hear the girls giggling and talking in hushed tones, but decided that it wouldn't be polite to listen in.

Perception was a funny thing. It could often change simply depending on where one was standing. To Republic City and the rest of the outside world, most considered Ketu to only be a slightly talented earthbender who was content to coast through life on the reputation of his grandparents' legacies. Yet just a few hundred meters from there, on this island, the residents thought that the firstborn son of Master Tenzin was nothing more than a rebellious, bad boy who constantly thumbs his nose at traditions.

Ketu wasn't altogether sure which opinion was more correct, or if either was. He just knew that he was trying to live life the way that he wanted. And for the most part, he didn't care if anyone was ever offended by that.

As Ketu was making his way to the main temple building where his family lived, he saw his father standing outside the girls' dormitories. Tenzin's expression was unreadable as he watched Ketu approach.

"Master Tenzin, Officer Ketu Beifong reporting as ordered," Ketu said as he stood at attention.

"There's no need to stand on those sort of formalities while you're staying here, Ketu," Tenzin said. He then noticed that his son was still carrying his luggage. "Why don't you go put those bags in your room? Korra is getting changed into her training gear."

"Are you planning on having her stay in the girl's dormitory while she stays here?" Ketu asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Protocol dictates that, as her bodyguard, I should be bunking in the room closest to her own," he explained. "Since I doubt that you or any of the dorm's current residents would be okay with me sleeping in there," Ketu said as he gestured to the girls' dormitory, "would it be alright if Korra moved into one of the spare rooms in the main building with us?"

"I thought your mother said that the reason for this assignment was so Korra could learn to better coordinate with the police," his father said. He seemed almost insistent that Korra remain in the dormitories.

"That may be true," Ketu replied, "but I'm still her bodyguard, and I don't want to hear anyone tell me I'm not doing my job right or taking it seriously."

Tenzin thought about it for a moment before finally relenting. "Very well. There's an empty room beside your sisters'. Its door isn't next to yours, but it does share a wall."

"That should work," Ketu said as he made his way to his room. "Worst case scenario, I can always knock that wall down if I need to."

"Please don't," his father sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I will make no such promises," the young police officer said without looking back.

* * *

Ketu couldn't help but smile to himself when the door to his room creaked loudly as it was opened. Nothing had changed. As a boy, that creak had always been something of a double-edged sword to him. On one hand, it served as a great warning for when his father decided to enter his room unannounced. It usually gave him about two or three seconds to turn off his radio and slide it under his bed before his father caught him listening to the Pro-bending matches.

On the other hand, it was basically an alarm bell to his father and Pema whenever he tried to sneak out of his room at night. Whether he was headed to the bathroom, sneaking off to stargaze, or raiding the kitchens for some leftover fruit pie, his father and stepmom always knew when he was up and would keep an ear out until he went back to bed. And they would come to scold him if he stayed up for too long.

It wasn't until he was eleven that he learned that all he had to do to sneak out was open and close his door a couple of minutes after he left his room. The adults would assume that he only needed to use the restroom and would go right back to sleep.

Ketu's room was incredibly simple. Which wasn't so surprising given his nomadic heritage. There was really only three things in it: a small dresser/bookshelf containing various tomes and scrolls about the Air Nomads and their culture, a simple wooden desk to do his studies, and a bed.

What surprised Ketu was how clean the room was. That wasn't to say that he was a slob who left his room looking like a disaster zone. It was almost impossible to get that room too messy given the spartan living conditions.

It's just that it had been almost two years since Ketu had even set foot in this room; he expected for there to be an inch of dust on everything. The Air Acolytes must have cleaned it before he got back. Guess they couldn't stand for even a single room to not be absolutely spotless in their master's home, even if that room belonged to Tenzin's 'failure' of a son.

Ketu set his bags at the foot of his bed and opened up his radio case. Before he did anything else, Ketu wanted to set up his radio. The few times he had managed to smuggle it from his mom's home when he was a boy, Ketu had been forced to listen to it on the floor. That way, he could easily hide it under his bed in case his father walked in.

The reception in the stone building was terrible to begin with, but being forced to listen to it in the back corner of his room only made it worse. Now though, Ketu was a grown man. He had a job and paid his own bills. His father couldn't rule his life anymore. So now, Ketu was going to put his radio where he always wanted.

He made his way over to the opposite side of the room from his bed. Ketu intended to put his radio on his desk, more specifically near the window that overlooked the desk where he could get optimal reception.

After finally getting the thing plugged in and turning it on, Ketu smiled as he heard the morning traffic report come in crystal clear. Ketu's smile was short-lived, however, as he took in the other objects on his desk.

With no drawers or cabinets to store any papers or utensils, the desk was more of a small table, but it was sufficient to hold Ketu's few boyhood belongings. The largest and most eye-catching of which was a hollow, wooden sphere. It was about 9 inches in diameter and had several curvaceous slots running around its perimeter, allowing for it to catch even the most subtle of wind currents.

This was an airball. More specifically, it was a gift that Ketu received from his grandfather on the day he was born. Ketu reached out and picked up the wooden ball, as he had countless times before in his youth. He gave the ball a quick spin as he watched it rise into the air and then slowly descend as it lost its rotational momentum. Ketu caught it before it hit the ground and gently set it back on his desk.

Although his father assured him that the ball was in perfectly playable condition, he had also been told that this particular airball was from the Southern Air Temple and had been crafted by the original Air Nomads before their genocide. That made it well-over a century and a half old, and he didn't want to take any chances on accidentally breaking it by foolishly throwing it around.

Next to the airball was a small white whistle in the shape of a bison. The bison whistle was a crucial tool for any airbender who hoped to bond with a sky bison. However, this specific bison whistle was special. It had belonged to Avatar Aang himself. Tenzin had given this whistle to Ketu when he was about 5 or so, telling him that he would need it one day.

Ketu had mixed feelings about that whistle. Although it was a bitter reminder that he would never be able to use the whistle in the way his father intended, he did use it almost every day after school when he was a boy to summon Oogi for him and the other kids to play with.

Oogi was younger then and not used to taking such prolonged naps like he did these days. The sky bison used to always look forward to playing with the children, even as his rider would silently lament about how such a majestic and noble creature was now delegated to being 'playground equipment.'

Lastly, there was a simple photo frame sitting on the back corner of the desk. In it, was a photo that was over 10 years old. The photo was of Tenzin and a 7 year-old Ketu on a beach in the Ember Islands. Tenzin's beard wasn't nearly as long as it was now. And instead of the tangled, dark brown mop he had these days, Ketu's head was shaved in this photo. Both of them had identical grins on their faces that any acquaintance of Aang would easily identify as the late Avatar's iconic smile.

Ketu's desk was almost like a shrine. A shrine to his boyhood aspirations that never came to be. Not wanting to remember happier times when he was naïve enough to believe in those dreams, Ketu turned the photo of him and his father face-down on the desk.

He wasn't so sure what he should do with the other two objects. Perhaps he should just donate them to the Temple, or maybe give them to Jinora. She was getting to age where she would be getting her own bison soon anyway, so she could definitely use the whistle.

Ultimately however, Ketu decided to hang on to them for now. Both because Jinora wasn't quite ready to tame a bison herself, and he was worried she might attempt it if he gave her the tools to try. And because Meelo would _definitely _try to use the airball as some sort of projectile to annoy their sisters if it ever left Ketu's room.

But mostly, he held onto the items because he appreciated the irony. The irony being that, despite how much the Air Acolytes might cherish such iconic airbending artifacts that had once belonged to the original Air Nomads and Avatar Aang himself, they would be forced to endure the _indignity_ of watching Ketu, of all people, be in possession of them.

Deciding he'd done enough of moping around; Ketu unpacked his bags and stored his clothes in the dresser before making his way out to the training grounds.

* * *

Korra was walking with Tenzin as they made their way to the airbender training grounds. After she had finished getting changed into her airbending garbs, Tenzin told her that Ketu had arrived on the island a short while ago. Apparently, Ketu wanted Korra to move into the main temple with his family so that he could be close by in case of emergencies.

Moving her few belongings to a new room wasn't that big of a deal, but Korra was having some mixed feelings about the whole 'bodyguard' situation. She was happy that Ketu was staying on the island with them. He was the first friend she'd made that was her own age. However, she didn't like the idea that, because of his job, Ketu would be trying to run her life; she got that enough with the White Lotus.

"So, my mother informed me that you've never been able to airbend before," Tenzin said, pulling her out of her stupor.

"Yeah, but I don't know why," Korra sighed. "The other elements came so easily to me. But every single time I've tried airbending...nothing."

"It's perfectly alright, we just need to be patient," Tenzin assured her. "Often the element that's most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality," he explained. "For Aang, it was earthbending."

"Yeah, well, I'm about as opposite an airbender as you can get," Korra said dejectedly.

"I guess that must mean you're as stubborn as an earthbender." Korra and Tenzin turned and saw Ketu walking past the bison stables as he made his way towards them.

"I can relate to that," he said, shooting Korra a lopsided grin.

"Yes," Tenzin said in understanding, "but in order to master airbending you must be willing to let go of the desire to recklessly charge headlong through your problems. Instead, focus on finding and following the path of least resistance."

Korra and Ketu rolled their eyes in response after Tenzin turned to continue along his path. Catching each other, they both smiled before following Tenzin along the path. They were getting close to the training grounds when suddenly a voice rang out.

"KETU BEIFONG!"

Korra turned and saw that it was a female Air Acolyte with straight, light brown hair that fell down to her shoulders. Her hands were on her hips, and her pale blue eyes were glaring directly at Korra's new bodyguard. However, from the way she was angrily stalking up to the three of them, Korra wonder if Ketu was the one who actually needed protecting.

As she got closer, Korra could see that the young woman seemed to be a year or two older than her, though her height stopped just short of the Avatar's nose. And yet, Ketu seemed to be backing up and looking away in fear.

"Oh, h-hey Nima," Ketu said nervously, "long-time, no-see."

This was the most vulnerable Korra had ever seen Ketu. Even when fighting Triads or standing up to his mother in the interrogation room, he firmly held his ground, unflinching. But now, he seemed to be on the verge of panicking.

"Don't you 'Hey Nima' me, you colossal jerk," the young Air Acolyte said, driving her finger into his armored chest for emphasis.

It was almost comical seeing the 6' tall earthbender cringing under the scornful gaze of a nun that was almost a full head shorter than him.

"You've been back in Republic City for over a month, and you _just now _come to visit?" the young woman demanded.

"Hey now," Ketu tried to explain, "work's been crazy and stuff. Plus, there was Mom's birthday—"

"Um, Ketu," Korra interjected. "Who exactly is this girl?" she asked as she looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh right," he said, happy for any sort of distraction. "Korra, this is Nima. She's—"

"I'm his girlfriend," Nima interrupted as she leveled her gaze at Korra.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, before everyone starts rolling their eyes and quit reading. I just want you to know that Nima is the last OC that I plan on making for this story. I know that it can be frustrating when Fanfic authors come up with a whole cast of half-baked OCs that they expect us to keep track of. I usually lose interest in those stories too. As I said, Nima is the only other OC I plan on making, and hopefully you've already been able to figure out her purpose for the story.**

**Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed please leave a review to let me know. You can expect the next chapter to be out in 2 weeks 11/22.**

**-Ominous Out**


	9. Chapter 9: The First Lesson

Chapter 9: The First Lesson

Despite what many in Republic City believed, the people who are known as the Air Acolytes are not actually the nonbending descendants of Air Nomads who fled into the Earth Kingdom, following the Fire Nation's genocide. In fact, they had originally started out as a fan club to Avatar Aang. The young women that made up this organization had taken and adopted several aspects from Air Nomad culture without truly grasping their meanings. This greatly offended the young Avatar, and he condemned their actions as blasphemous. He felt as though his once great culture was being treated as some sort of game.

Later, after realizing that they didn't truly mean any harm by their actions, Aang decided to forgive the girls for their ignorance and took it upon himself to teach them about Air Nomad culture. They would later come to be known as the first group of Air Acolytes. Over the decades, the number of Air Acolytes continued to swell as more and more people dedicated themselves to the Air Nomad ways. And with aid from Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang and the Air Acolytes set about restoring the Air Temples.

After more than 70 years, the Air Nation had become completely self-sufficient, no longer relying on donations to support themselves or recruitment to sustain their population. And although the Air Acolytes were always willing to accept new members who wished to join, most of the younger members were actually born into this new Air Nation.

Nima was one such person. However, as a third-generation Air Acolyte, she was something of a rarity; with her grandmother, Xing Ying, being a founding member of the Air Acolytes and one of Avatar Aang's first disciples. As such, Nima's family was highly-respected and regarded as something akin to nobility within the Air Nation. Members of their family were traditionally librarians and the keepers of the Air Nation's most sacred relics.

Ketu had met Xing Ying when he was a boy. She was an amazing person, incredibly knowledgeable and wise. He had no doubt that aged, old librarian knew more about Air Nomad culture than even his father.

But above all else, she was kind; always willing to teach any who would listen and be there _to listen_ to anyone who needed to talk. On occasion, she was even known to let young children play with the antique Air Nomad toys that were usually kept locked in the library's archives.

When he was 15, two years after leaving home, He received a letter from Nima that her grandmother had passed. That news shocked him to his core; Ketu couldn't imagine his childhood mentor as anything but full of life. And it was with a heavy heart that he wrote back to Nima that he and Bumi wouldn't be able to make it back in time for her grandmother's services.

After that, Ketu always made sure to stay in touch with Nima. Both because he wanted to make sure that she was alright after her grandmother's death, and because Bumi had told him that he should have someone 'back home' to care about. It was important to remember who it was that you were fighting for.

And so, Ketu was always up-to-date on any developments going on in Nima's life. He knew her father had taken over his mother's place as Head Librarian, shortly after her funeral.

Ketu heard about the time Nima's friend finally worked up the courage to ask her crush out on a date. He also heard about the eventual fallout when the young girl's parents found out that her new boyfriend was a member of the Red Monsoon Triad.

And six months ago, Ketu learned that Nima had decided to take on an apprenticeship under her father. What he _hadn't_ been informed of was the fact the Nima had now decided that she was _his girlfriend_.

Nima's almost casual declaration of their supposed romantic relationship had stunned Ketu into silence, and all he could seem to do was let his jaw hang. And although he didn't notice it at first, Korra was mirroring his sentiments with her own surprised expression. Then after a few moments and catching young nun's sly smile, Ketu finally caught on. He quickly had to cover up his own mischievous smirk.

"Ah, my beloved Nima," Ketu said in an overly dramatic voice as he looped his arm with Nima's and pulled her close. "How I have missed you. I'm so sorry it took me so long to come and see you. Please forgive me," he begged as he gazed 'lovingly' into her eyes.

Apparently missing the sarcasm that laced Ketu's voice, as well as his _horrid_ acting, Korra's surprise turned to total shock. "Wait, so she's _really_ your girlfriend?" Korra asked.

"Not only that," Nima said in a teasing voice, "we're engaged."

"Oh betrothed, even," Ketu interjected boisterously.

"_Betrothed_?" Korra asked in utter disbelief. Her arms hung limply by her sides, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Yes," Nima supposedly confirmed even as she was wrapped up in Ketu's arms. "I believe our parents set it all up about a week or two after Ketu was born," she said touching her finger to her chin, as though she were trying to recall some vague memory.

* * *

Deciding to ignore whatever inane argument that the children were having, Tenzin had continued along their path towards the training grounds shortly after realizing that it was Nima who had shouted at his son. He glanced back once and saw the young librarian-in-training driving her finger into Ketu's chest as the boy backed away and looked around guiltily. Whatever it was that they were arguing about was probably Ketu's fault, and he most likely deserved whatever sort of chewing-out he was about to receive.

Tenzin was planning on waiting for Korra and Ketu at the training grounds with Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. However, his plan was quickly interrupted as someone grabbed his shoulders from behind and roughly turned him around. It was Korra.

"Tenzin, did you really do it?" she asked in a near-panic.

"Did I do what?" Tenzin asked in confusion. How was she so out of breath? He was barely 10 meters ahead of them.

"Did you really put _your own son_ into an arranged marriage when he was just a baby!?" Korra demanded, shaking his shoulders. Tenzin was completely dumbfounded at that point.

He looked back towards Ketu and Nima, hoping for some sort of clarification. Ketu had his back turned to them. However, he seemed to giving one of the many plain, wooden posts of the covered walkway an _incredibly thorough_ examination. Nima, meanwhile, _was_ facing them, but given how she was staring at the ground and the way that she was biting into the index finger of her fist, Tenzin could tell she was trying incredibly hard to contain her laughter.

Korra turned to them as well, confused to see that they were no longer wrapped up in each other's arms.

Tenzin sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. "Would you two, _please_, stop teasing our gullible, young Avatar?!" Tenzin shouted back at the two troublemakers. "She needs to be focused on airbending and not on whatever tall-tale it is that you two are spinning," he said as he freed himself from Korra's grasp.

With their trick finally exposed, Ketu and Nima burst out laughing, almost doubling over as they tried to catch their breath. This continued on for a few moments, and the two of them were still chuckling as they made their way towards Tenzin and Korra.

"So wait, they _aren't_ betrothed?" Korra asked as she finally started to grasp the situation.

"No," Tenzin answered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "they aren't even dating."

"Sorry about that Korra. I just couldn't resist," Ketu apologized, still smiling like a fool. "Let me introduce you for real this time. Korra, this is Nima. She's _not_ my fiancé, but she has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Her parents are Air Acolytes, and her dad is the head librarian for Air Temple Island."

"It is an honor to meet you, Avatar," Nima said, bowing low. Given how respectful she seemed and the grace she was carrying herself with right now; it was almost hard to believe that just a few moments ago, this young woman had been practically rolling on the ground in fits of undignified laughter.

Korra considered how she should respond. Nima seemed sincere enough with her formal introduction. Korra took a deep breath before finally responding.

"It's nice to meet you, Nima," Korra said as she held out her hand to shake.

Nima looked up. Apparently happy with the Avatar's response, Nima gave Korra a beautiful smile as she stood up and took Korra's hand. "Sorry about the whole 'I'm-his-girlfriend' bit," Nima said. "I wasn't planning on tricking _you _when I first said that. I was actually trying to get a rise out of this blubbering idiot," she explained as she jerked her thumb in Ketu's direction.

"Hey! I don't 'blubber'!" Ketu yelled indignantly.

"But you _are_ an idiot," Korra stated without missing a beat. She then smirked and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Besides, I wouldn't have done it, if you had come to visit sooner," Nima informed him. "You've been back in Republic City for almost a month, and you didn't even send a letter."

"Wow, Ketu," Korra said with disappointment, "you really should treat your friends better."

"W-what the…b-but-?" Ketu stuttered as he tried to grasp what had just happened. He then noticed how Korra and Nima were grinning; how they seemed to be standing together and the way they were playing off each other.

"Oh no," Ketu groaned as he covered his face with his hand, "they're working together now."

"Yes-yes," Tenzin cut in. "Now if the introductions are done, perhaps we could get back to Korra's airbending training," he said impatiently. The Airbending Master had apparently gotten sick of the fact that his lesson kept getting postponed.

"Apprentice Nima," he said, getting the girl's attention. "You should probably report to your father and finish up this morning's duties."

"Actually, Master Tenzin, I've already finished. My father shouldn't need my help until after lunch," Nima explained. "If it's possible, I was hoping I might be able to sit in on the Avatar's lesson," she requested. "Being able to watch someone airbend for the first time is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"If Korra doesn't mind, then I see no issue," Tenzin replied curtly. At that point, he had resumed his trek towards the training grounds, determined to not be interrupted again. "However, you must be _absolutely silent_; no more distractions from the lesson," he demanded without even turning around.

Nima then turned to Korra with pleading eyes. Ketu was looking to Korra as well, curious as to how she would reply.

Korra wasn't quite sure how she should respond; she wasn't really expecting to have an audience today. However, after seeing how badly the young Air Acolyte wanted to watch her lesson, she didn't want to seem rude.

"Um…sure, I guess that'd be okay," Korra said with uncertainty as she rubbed the back of her neck with her left hand.

"Really?!" Nima exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Korra," she said, taking Korra's right hand with both of hers.

"Yeah, no problem," Korra assured her with a smile.

Although Korra was initially surprised by Nima's overexcited reaction, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. After all, Nima was part of a nation that only had 4 confirmed benders, 3 of which were still children. Being able to witness the figurative birth a new airbender probably _would_ be a big deal to an Air Acolyte.

"HEH-HUMPH!"

Korra, Ketu, and Nima all looked up the hill, towards the end of the path, and saw Tenzin 'patiently' waiting for them as he cleared his throat. The 3 teenagers grinned at the older man's annoyed expression before making their way towards the airbending training grounds.

* * *

Ketu still had a small half-smile from his father's irritation as he, Korra, and Nima finished their little trip to the training grounds. Unfortunately, his amusement was cut short as three tiny missiles suddenly hit him right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to fall onto his back.

"KO-KO!"

Ketu fell to the ground with an "Oomph!" Nevertheless, he quickly regained his bearings as he tried figured out what had just hit him. However, after hearing three distinct little voices calling out a certain nickname, he had a pretty good idea as to what had hit him.

"Hey goofballs," Ketu said smiling down at his three younger siblings. "What's got you guys so excited?" He asked as he stood back up and dusted himself off.

"It's been _forever _since we've seen you, that's what," Ikki said as she latched back onto one of his legs.

"Actually it's only been about 4 months," Jinora corrected. The older sister opted not to grab onto their older brother. "Still, we missed you, Ko-ko," she said with a smile.

"Aww, I missed you too, Munchkin," Ketu said as he wrapped his left arm around Jinora, despite her protests. He then turned to Ikki and grabbed her with his other arm, hugging them both. "You too, Pipsqueak," he grinned.

"Wait, so why do they call you 'Ko-ko'?" Korra asked, grabbing everyone's attention.

"That's because when Jinora was a baby she tried to say Ketu's name, but it came out as 'Ko-ko,'" Ikki explained excitedly. "Mommy and Daddy thought that it was so cute, that they started to call him 'Ko-ko' too. When Meelo and I were born, Jinora, Mommy, and Daddy were all still calling him 'Ko-ko,' so we did too."

"Aww, that's such a cute story. Eh, _Officer Ko-ko_?" Korra teased as she nudged Ketu with her elbow.

"Pleeease, 'Ko-ko' is just what _the girls_ call him," Meelo defended as he crossed him arms indignantly.

"Oh, is that right?" Nima asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. She was well aware of the many times that the little boy had been caught calling his older brother by that name.

"Cadet Meelo, reporting for duty, Lieutenant!" the little boy said, saluting.

"At ease, Cadet," Ketu said with a smile. "And I'm not a lieutenant anymore. I quit the military," he explained simply.

"Aww, really? So, does that mean you aren't going to be my _Soup-eerie-Or_ officer when I join the army?" Meelo asked, forlorn even as he struggled to pronounce 'superior.'

"No, sorry Knucklehead. But Uncle Bumi is still in the service, maybe _he _can be your commander like he was mine," Ketu apologized as he placed his hand on his little brother's head. "That, or you could join me on the police force," he suggested.

"Perhaps we could discuss Meelo's future career path at another time," Tenzin cut in. "Right now, we should focus on Korra's airbending training."

Although Tenzin's words were meant to sound commanding, it was hard to give off that impression given the easy, and overall content, smile on his face. It was clear, that despite how irritated he was that his lesson kept getting delayed, Tenzin was genuinely happy to see all 4 of his children back together again.

"Yeah-yeah, sorry Dad," Ketu said still smiling.

Both Tenzin and Ketu paused for an instant as they looked each other in the eye, surprised to hear Ketu calling him 'Dad.' It seems that in the revelry of the moment, Ketu had slipped up and completely forgotten any sort of resentment he had for his father.

Ketu quickly cleared his throat. "Right…well, on with the lesson then," Ketu said as his face took on a neutral expression.

Korra gave a curious look at Ketu, and then one to Tenzin, as she picked up the weird vibe between the two of them. "So," she began, getting everyone's attention, "what is _that_ contraption?"

Said 'contraption' was a series of tall, wooden planks, each inscribed with the symbol of the Air Nation and set upon free-spinning stakes embedded in the ground. There were over a dozen of these planks in total, and they were arranged upon a raised, circular stone slab, about 5 meters in diameter.

"Those are known as The Gates. They're designed to help teach the most fundamental aspects of airbending," Nima explained. "Oops, sorry, Master Tenzin. I didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized.

"That's quite alright, Apprentice Nima," Tenzin assured her. It seems that now that the lesson was officially underway, the airbending master was much calmer and more amicable. "Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?"

"The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them," the young girl said.

"Seems easy enough," Korra said with a smirk.

"Jinora forgot to say you have to make it through while the gates are spinning," Ikki quickly piped up.

And then, almost as if for emphasis, Tenzin stepped forward, raised his arms, and then thrust them forward, sending a massive gust of wind into The Gates. The result was almost instantaneous, as the heavy wooden panels suddenly all began to spin almost blindingly fast.

"The key is to be like the leaf," Tenzin said. As way to clarify, he pulled a small, green leaf from out of his robes.

"Flow with the movement of the gates," he explained. Sure enough, the leaf made its way through spinning gates, before exiting out the other side without ever touching a single one of the twirling, wooden boards.

"Jinora will demonstrate," Tenzin prompted. Jinora then dashed up towards the spinning gates and quickly entered them, bobbing and weaving, twisting and turning as she expertly avoided touching any of them.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements," Tenzin continued. "When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Jinora exited The Gates just as her father finished his explanation.

After making her way clear of the spinning panels, Jinora then sent her own gust of wind into them in order to reset their speed. Ketu couldn't help but smiled in pride as his little sister executed the exercise perfectly. She really was a natural prodigy.

"All right," Korra said with determination. "Let's do this." She then charged directly into The Gates.

It went about as well as Ketu imagined, with Korra being painfully bounced around between the various twirling gates. Eventually, she was thrown out and somehow landed on her butt in the exact same position as she had entered.

To her credit and despite her somewhat embarrassing display, Korra immediately jumped back to her feet, undeterred and ready to rush back in. However, just as she was about to run forward again, a hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her.

"Hold up there, Korra," Ketu said.

"What?" Korra asked, slightly frustrated. "I just need to get the timing right."

"Are you sure that you're actually a Water Avatar, and not an Earth Avatar?" Ketu asked bluntly. "Because you really are as stubborn as any natural-born earthbender," he said smirking.

Korra merely frowned and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Trust me, Korra," Ketu assured her. "There's no way that you're going to be able power your way through those gates. Do you see all the scuff marks right under all the air symbols? You know, right where it hit you in the face," he prompted.

Although Korra was slightly peeved that Ketu felt the need to point out how she had gotten smacked around by a piece of wood, she decided to give it a quick look anyway. And sure enough, upon closer inspection, Korra did notice that that particular portion of each gate seemed to be more worn down than the rest of it.

"You wouldn't be the first person to get it in their head to try to force their way through, regardless of how many times you get hit," he continued. "Unfortunately, the only thing you're going to get out of it is a concussion."

"Okay, then. How exactly _do_ I get through them?" Korra asked cynically. "The only advice Tenzin gave me was to '_be like the leaf_.'"

"Okay," Ketu said, trying to lead her thinking. "What do you think he meant by that? Why did the leaf make it through The Gates, but you didn't?"

"Well, the leaf is light, I guess," Korra reasoned. "I was _trying_ to be light on my feet, but I still got tossed around," she defended bitterly.

"Having less weight has nothing to do with it. After all, leaves get blown into things all the time," Ketu explained. "During autumn, there's always a huge pile of them under my window. That's where they all fall after they hit the temple," he elaborated.

"What is it about The Gates that makes it possible for a single leaf to make it through a maze of spinning panels that are moving so fast that it's almost impossible to keep track of them?" Ketu asked.

Korra was silent for a moment before finally giving a small shrug as she failed to come up with an answer.

Ketu sighed. "It's the air currents," he explained. "The leaf was pushed around by the air currents created by the spinning gates, ensuring that it would be moved out of the way before it ran into any of them."

"Hey," Korra said indignantly. "I said that the leaf was able to make it through because it was light, but then you said that weight had nothing to do with it. And now, you're telling me that it was only able to make it through because it was blown around by 'air currents.'"

"Okay," Ketu relented, "so you were half right, but you had no idea why," he said as he gave her a half-lidded stare.

Korra huffed as she'd finally had enough of an _earthbender _telling her how bad she was at airbending. "Hey Tenzin," she said, getting the wizened master's attention. "Aren't _you_ the one who's supposed to be teaching me?" she asked jerking her thumb towards Ketu. "Not him."

"How dare you?" Nima spoke up with a frown. "Ketu knows more about airbending than anyone besides Master Tenzin himself," she defended heatedly. "You'd do well to take his advice."

"She's right," Tenzin confirmed with a slight amount of pride. "Ketu has studied the techniques and philosophies of airbending since he was a small boy. Though I'll be sure to speak up if he says anything too misleading."

"Alright then, _Master Ko-ko_," Korra said with an annoyed sigh. "You were saying something about 'air currents.'"

"Yes," he continued, although slightly irritated. "As you probably already know, airbenders are masters of evasive tactics. They're able to sense incoming attacks by feeling changes in the air around them."

Ketu could tell from her slightly absent expression that Korra still didn't fully grasp what it was that he was trying to say. He gave a heavy sigh as he tried to come up with a way for her to understand.

"Alright. Come over here," he instructed as he motioned for her to stand just a few feet in front of The Gates. "Now, close your eyes."

"This better not be another trick," Korra warned him with narrowed eyes.

"It's not," Ketu assured her.

Korra took a deep breath before closing her eyes as instructed. "Okay, now what?" she asked impatiently.

"Now, try to feel the air around you," he said. "Is there any wind? If there is, what direction is it coming from? How strong is it?"

Korra gave it a moment as she tried to focus and feel any sort of wind. "Well, there's a gentle breeze coming in from the West," she said with some hesitation as she pointed to her left.

"That way is south actually," Ketu corrected absently, "but you're right. That _is_ a natural breeze that you're feeling. The key to making through The Gates relies on your ability to feel the disruptions in the natural air around you."

Even with her eyes closed, Korra couldn't help but smile at the small amount of praise that the young man had given her.

"Now hold your hand out directly in front of you," Ketu commanded.

Korra did as she was told with her palm facing out and her fingers splayed. Her hand was less than a foot away from one of the spinning gates.

"Do you feel the air being blown into your hand by the gate?" Ketu asked

"Yeah, a little…I think," Korra answered with some uncertainty.

"Okay, try to focus as much as you can on the sensations in your hand," he said. Ketu gave her a moment to concentrate before continuing.

"Now, turn your hand around with your palm facing inward. Feel the air currents with the _back_ of your hand," he commanded.

The result was almost immediate as what had only felt like soft fanning a moment before, now felt like a strong, cool gust of wind.

"Woah," Korra said in astonishment, opening her eyes and looking at Ketu. "I can totally feel it now!"

He smiled. "That's because the skin on the back of your hand is much more sensitive than your palm," Ketu explained. "Forcing you to focus your feeling in your palm only helped make the difference feel even more intense."

* * *

Korra was utterly amazed. She'd felt the wind blow against her skin countless times throughout her life, but she'd never _felt_ it like this before. She wondered if this was how other Avatars had felt whenever they first discovered a new element. Did all her past lives experience this same sense of wonder and excitement?

Korra, herself, had been able to bend the other 3 elements for as long as she could remember. She never had to try to explore different sensations like this; she merely needed to dig deeper into what she had already known. This sense of discovery, this thirst for knowledge, was all incredibly new to her.

"Everything in the world causes movement in the air," Ketu said, regaining Korra's attention. "Everything from a flying boulder or a fire blast to a single wingbeat from a spider-fly; they all create disruptions in the natural air flow. And airbenders are able to perceive the world around them by feeling these changes in the air against their skin," he explained.

"That's why most of the Air Nomads shaved their heads. Your scalp is extremely sensitive like the back of your hand," Ketu said, motioning to his bald father as an example. "And I bet you just thought he did that to cover up his receding hairline," the younger man added with a smirk.

Korra and Nima both couldn't help but snort in amusement at Ketu's 'lesson.' While Tenzin merely rolled his eyes, but chose not to interrupt.

"I want you to close your eyes again. Visualize the spinning gate in front of you," Ketu continued as he crossed his arms. "I want you to try to predict the speed of the gate's rotation. Feel the ebb and flow of the air as it spins. The air current should be at its strongest when the gate is closest."

Korra tried to feel this 'ebb and flow' that Ketu was talking about, but no matter how hard she tried, it just felt like a constant breeze to her. "Hey Tenzin," she said trying to distract from that fact.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't _you_ try to teach me this stuff?" Korra asked. "You just told me to 'be like the leaf,' then you let me run face-first into this deathtrap," she said motioning to The Gates. "Why is Ketu the one teaching me about all this feeling-the-air-currents stuff?"

"Wait a moment," Tenzin said. "Are you saying that you _didn't _read the introductory material I left for you when I visited the South Pole?" he asked with a distinctive edge to his voice.

Then it all came back to her. Korra _did_ seem to recall the numerous tomes and scrolls that Tenzin and his family had brought when they visited her the last time. After telling her that her training was to be postponed, Tenzin had told her to read through them so that she would be 'adequately prepared' for when he finally came back to begin her training. In her frustration at being delayed and her haste to reach Republic City, Korra had completely forgotten about them.

"Oh…um, _of course _I read them," Korra obviously lied. "But…uh, you don't mind reminding me of what was in them, right?" she asked with an uneasy smile.

Tenzin sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Most of what was in there, Ketu already briefly explained. I _thought_ that you just might have needed a brief review to help you get into the groove of things," he explained.

"Luckily for you, I have copies of those documents which you will review _every single day_, until you finally master The Gates," Tenzin informed her with a predatory grin.

"Wait, so I just have to make it through them, right?" Korra reasoned as she hoped to avoid hours upon hours of sitting around and reading.

"I can do that, no problem," she said. And with that, she charged right in once again.

Unlike the first time, she made it several feet in. And although she was hit multiple times, they were mostly glancing blows rather than the full-body hits she suffered the previous time. Nevertheless, she was forced out in the same direction she had entered.

She tried again with the same result. However, her third attempt was more reminiscent to her very first as she was once again thrown bodily out of the spinning contraption.

And just like before, Korra was ready to charged headlong into The Gates once again when a hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. It was Ketu…again.

"Korra, it's okay to not be able to get it on your first day," Ketu said, trying to console her. "You just aren't ready yet. You need more practice."

Korra was a do-er, not a thinker. She learned best through actions, not by sitting around in a library and reading. She needed to master airbending as quick as possible. She promised the people of Republic City that she would protect them. Korra wanted to know why Ketu was trying to hold her back, to slow her down. What did _he_ know about the expectation of becoming an airbender?

"Oh yeah?" Korra asked in frustration. "Well if _you're_ such the expert, then why don't _you_ try making through those gates?"

Ketu frowned deeply at Korra's spiteful response, but he didn't bite back with any sort of angry retort. Instead, he had an incredibly determined look in his eye as he stepped up to The Gates and began to unhook his heavy, metal armor. His chest plate fell to the ground with a _clank,_ and Ketu rolled his shoulders and turned his head, causing his neck to pop as he loosened up.

"Wait, he's not serious, is he?" Korra asked Tenzin in surprise. "He's an _earthbender_!" she said to Nima as Ketu seemingly called her bluff.

Both remained silent as they observed the young man. Ketu unwound the dark orange scarf from around his neck, but rather than tossing it on the ground with his chest plate, he covered his eyes and tied it behind his head like a blindfold.

"Ikki, Meelo, reset The Gates," Ketu commanded.

"All right!" Meelo exclaimed, throwing his fist into the air in anticipation.

Both of the young airbenders enthusiastically sent an incredibly strong gust of wind into The Gates. In their excitement, they accidentally made their blast a bit too strong as Jinora was forced to move out of the way. "You guys are messing up my hair," she complained.

Ketu ignored the bickering of his younger siblings as he stepped up to The Gates, completely blinded. Korra held her breath in anticipation as she waited for Ketu to inevitably get mauled by the spinning panels just as she had been.

Yet, to her astonishment, Ketu deftly dodged every obstacle as he glided through The Gates just as Jinora had. However, unlike his younger sister who had moved through in a relatively straight line, Ketu seemed determined to move through every square inch of the network of spinning gates. He was moving with almost unnatural agility and speed that made it seem as though he was being carried by the air itself.

Just when it seemed as though Ketu was about to exit The Gates out the opposite side, he astounded Korra once again as he abruptly stopped and began to move _backwards_ towards the position he had originally entered.

Ketu had been making his way throughout The Gates for several minutes by the time he finally made it back out from his point of entry, so the spinning gates had become noticeably slower than they were when he had first entered. After exiting, Ketu brought his arms around in a sharp, circular motion. Using his earthbending, he turned the round, stone slab that The Gates were built upon. This caused the wooden panels to catch air as the entire structure was spun a full 360 degrees.

With his demonstration seemingly done, Ketu used his metalbending to summon and reattach his chest plates to the rest of his armor before making his way towards the mediation pavilion. He took off his makeshift blindfold without saying so much as a word to the stunned Avatar. All the while, The Gates continued to spin as though they had been reset by a master airbender.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! As always, thanks for reading. Next chapter will be out in 3 weeks at the latest (12/13). Sorry for the extended wait, but this chapter was extra long and took me longer to write (almost 6,000 words). I don't normally like making them this long, but I couldn't find a good spot to end it. Also, I made a new cover image, and that took some time to make too. (Especially since that was my first time actually using a computer to make a graphic image from scratch.) And I got distracted by the new Fallen Order game coming out last week.**

**Anyway, enough with the excuses. I finished the cover image that I really wanted and**** beat the campaign on Fallen Order, so NO MORE DISTRACTIONS FOR ME (except for work, LOL). I will try (BIG TRY) to get the next chapter out in 2 weeks, but just in case I can't I can guarantee the 3 weeks. Once again, thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter, please, leave a review, and if you like my new cover image, let me know. Until next time...**

**-Ominous Out**


	10. Chapter 10: Meditation and Relaxation

Chapter 10: Meditation and Relaxation

Despite the Air Acolytes dedication to calm meditation and finding inner peace, Air Temple Island was a fairly lively place during the day. Although the monks were never all that noisy, the island was almost always rife with hustle and bustle as its occupants set about doing their daily duties. At night, on the other hand, calm descended on the island as everyone finished their chores and began to rest up for the next day.

A cool breeze rolled through the temple grounds, a stark contrast to the relative warmth of the day before. However, for someone who was raised in the South Pole, the slight chill that had set upon Republic City was nothing. As such, a polar bear dog like Naga had no problem taking a nap completely out in the open, exposed to the cool, night air. Meanwhile, Korra wasn't even wearing a light jacket as she concentrated on her target, a newspaper strung up on a clothesline.

"Airbend," Korra commanded as she thrusted her arms in an aggressive spiral motion.

Unfortunately, the image of Chief Beifong continued to stare back at her from the front page of the newspaper, almost as if Lin, herself, were mocking Korra's inability.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" Korra asked herself. "Airbend!" she shouted, throwing her hands out in front of her again.

Naga groaned and cracked open an eye as she was awoken by her mistress's frustrated rantings. After realizing that she had accidentally disturbed her companion's rest, Korra took one last breath before launching a fireball at the newspaper which incinerated it and the clothesline it was hanging from.

"Ugh," she groaned, "maybe I'm just not cut out to be an airbender, huh, Naga?"

"Of course you are," a voice said from the shadows of one of the many trees that surrounded Korra and Naga. "You're the Avatar. You'll get it eventually." It was a voice that Korra had become quite familiar with over the last week.

"Ketu," she said, startled and somewhat embarrassed at being caught using a picture of his mother as target practice. "I haven't seen you all day." She stopped short of adding 'after what happened at The Gates.'

"Just because you haven't been able to see me, doesn't mean I haven't been keeping an eye on you," he said cryptically, his expression unreadable.

"Okay, that's kinda creepy," Korra said with a slight cringe.

Ketu merely rolled his eyes. "It means that I've been using my Seismic Sense to monitor your position," he explained. "It's one of the main reasons that I was picked for this assignment."

"Oh," she said simply, "I just assumed you were avoiding me after…you know…" she trailed off.

"You mean, after you lost your temper because you weren't able to instantly master an exercise that took me more than _two years_ to get a handle on?" Ketu supplied.

"TWO YEARS!" Korra exclaimed. "I thought Tenzin said that The Gates were supposed to help teach me the _fundamentals_."

"Yeah, of _airbending_. I'm an earthbender, remember?" he reminded her. "You'll get it _a lot_ faster than I did."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course," Ketu assured her, "but like anything else in life, it takes patience and a lot of hard work."

"Yeah, well, patience isn't exactly my strong suit," Korra said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I've noticed," Ketu stated simply.

"Hey, it's not polite to point out a lady's shortcomings," she said as she lightly elbowed him in the gut. "Seriously though, I'm sorry for snapping at you like that," she apologized, taking on a more serious tone. "You were trying to help me, and I let my frustration get the better of me."

"Apology accepted," he said with a smile. But before either one of them could continue, they were interrupted by the sound of a radio coming to life from the White Lotus sentry station just up the hill.

"_Ladies and gentlemen I'm coming to you live from Republic City's Pro-bending arena," _the voice of Shiro Shinobi came in._ "Where tonight, the best in the world continue their quest for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament."_

"You know, I've found that after a long day, the most relaxing thing in the world to do is to sit down and listen in as a bunch of guys try to beat the stuffing out of each other," Ketu said, grinning.

Korra smiled as well, and she quickly began to move towards the guard station.

"Hold on, Korra, those guys will see us coming from a mile away," he advised. "Come on, I've got my own radio back in my room."

The two teenagers quickly made their way into the main temple, trying to be as quiet as possible on their way to Ketu's room. Despite the rather loud creak as the door to his room opened and closed, they managed to reach their destination without drawing any attention. Korra decided to sit on the bed as Ketu pulled out the chair to his desk and tried to find the right station.

It seemed that luck was on their side, as Shiro Shinobi announced that the match was about to get underway just as Ketu found the correct signal. _"Grab your snacks, and grab your kids, because this next match is gonna be a doozy."_

"Well, you heard him," Ketu said as he held out something wrapped in wax paper to Korra.

She accepted the package and unwrapped it, smiling as she smelled the sweet aroma. It was a piece of fruit custard pie. "Where'd you get this?" she asked.

"I grabbed it on the way here," he answered as he took a bite from his own slice.

"But how? You were with me the whole time," she said in confusion.

"_A true master must be as swift and silent as the wind_…" Ketu said as though he were quoting some piece of ancient wisdom.

"What? Is that some sort of airbending proverb or something?" Korra asked, curiously.

"Yeah," he answered, "it's from _The Annals of Snack-Snatching_ by Ketu Beifong, Third Edition."

Korra merely chuckled and rolled her eyes as she settled in to listen to the match. They both spent the next half hour of so intently listening in, with Ketu explaining any rules or strategies that Korra didn't quite understand.

"Why would he intentionally retreat into the zone behind him when he didn't have to!?" Korra asked heatedly as the athlete didn't do things exactly the way she would have. "Isn't the whole point to gain ground, not give it up?"

"Yeah, but you can only move forward by how many zones you've pushed your enemy back," Ketu explained. "Since Bolin got knocked back, even if he and Mako managed to push back Yomo, Bolin'd still have to stay one zone behind Mako, where he'd have to worry about not hitting his teammate in the back. But now that Mako's retreated, they can work together to push those guys back."

"Oh," Korra said in understanding as she and Ketu turned their attention back to the radio.

"_This Mako's got moxie. He advances, fires two quick shots,"_ Shiro announced with excitement. "_And Yomo is __**hammered**__ back to zone three."_

Ketu sent a self-satisfied smile to Korra as his prediction was seemingly proven true. _"The clock is winding down, can Yomo hold on?" _Shiro asked in anticipation. Although he couldn't know it, Korra shared in his anticipation as she was on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to announce that her favored team had won the match.

"_He's teetering on the edge of the ring now. The Fire Ferrets line up to strike—"_ The broadcast was cut off as Ketu quickly reached up and changed the station at the very climax of the match.

"Hey!" Korra said in irritation. "Why'd you—!?"

"_Shhhh,"_ Ketu urged her as he placed an index finger on her lips and the other on his own. "Hang on to this," he ordered as he grabbed a book from the shelf and shoved it into her lap. He then grabbed one for himself and quickly sat back down by his desk.

* * *

Tenzin was on the lookout for a certain, young Avatar. After they'd had supper, Korra said that she was going out to get some fresh air. He'd told the young woman to be back in 10 minutes, so that they could review the material she had neglected to go over before she ran away from the White Lotus compound at the South Pole. After her 10 minutes were up and she still hadn't reported back, Tenzin had gone out to look for her.

Naga was easy enough to find as she was taking a nap in a clearing just outside the dining hall. Unfortunately, the dog's rider was nowhere to be seen. Tenzin searched the surrounding area, including the guard station where he caught a group White Lotus sentries listening to a Pro-bending match, but found no sign of his wayward Avatar. He even looked for her in the library and, eventually, her room on the off chance that she actually went to bed early. However, after he'd entered Korra's room, he could hear noises coming from the other side of one of the walls. The wall that was shared by Ketu's room. Tenzin felt his blood running cold at that realization.

He'd thought it odd that, during his search across the island for Korra, he _hadn't_ come across Ketu either. It had seemed as though Ketu had been specifically avoiding Korra and his father after she'd snapped at him during the first exercise of the day. Because of that, Tenzin hadn't even considered the possibility that they might have been together, until now.

Despite claims that 'he's always been an old man,' Tenzin _had_ indeed been young once, so he knew what two teenagers could get up to when they were alone. And no matter how much he might wish he could, Tenzin didn't have the ability to dramatically tear down the stone wall separating the two rooms like his earthbending son could. Instead, he was forced to almost completely circumnavigate the temple as he tried to reach Ketu's room as quickly as possible.

As he made his way down the last hall, Tenzin thanked whatever powers that be that most of the Air Acolytes had already retired for the evening, leaving his family and Korra as the temple's only residents. After that morning's news article, he didn't need rumors circulating throughout the island that Korra and Ketu had been alone in the young man's bedroom, completely unsupervised.

Approaching the door, Tenzin could hear voices coming from within the room. Whatever it was that the two of them were up to ended now. He loudly slammed the door open without any sort of preamble, but the sight before him took him by surprise. While both Korra and Ketu were alone in the room, as he'd suspected. And while Korra _was_ on Ketu's bed, the young man himself was sitting at his desk on the opposite end of the room, and both of them had heavy tomes sitting in their laps.

"…and so Monk Tang Xu completed the ninety-seventh day of his historic fast," Ketu continued to read, completely unfazed by his father's over-the-top entrance.

Korra, who didn't seem to be all that interested in reading from her own book, finally acknowledged the older man's presence. "Oh, hey Tenzin," she said as she noticed his disheveled look. "What's got you so worked up?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tenzin cleared his throat and straightened his messy robes. "Nothing," he quickly denied. "Anyway, didn't I say that the two of us were going to review the introductory material after supper?"

"Oh right. Sorry, Tenzin," Korra said with a nervous smile. "I came across Ketu when I went outside, and I felt like I needed to apologize for how I treated him this morning. After I did, he offered to help me study."

"I thought that the tale of Monk Tang Xu would be a good place to start," Ketu elaborated as he closed his book and set it on the desk. "His story teaches the values of patience and the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity."

"That was indeed a wise choice," Tenzin said with some pride. He tried to cover it up with a small cough. "Nevertheless, in the future, you should consult me before you choose to do independent research," he said imperiously. "That way, I can, um…recommend the correct course of study," he defended.

"Alright," Korra shrugged.

"Of course, Father," Ketu said.

"Good," Tenzin said in relief. "Now, I believe we should all head to bed," he suggested as he directed for Korra to follow him. "We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Okay," Korra relented. "Goodnight, Ketu. Thanks for the, uh - _help_," she said with a knowing smirk.

"Anytime, Korra," Ketu said with a matching half-smile. "I'm always happy to help with your…_studies_."

Tenzin couldn't help but groan. Neither one of them had any sense of subtly. He could already feel a migraine coming on as he worried what it was exactly that they were 'studying.'

* * *

Despite the fact that he was the first metalbender to ever join the United Forces, it was his Seismic Sensing that had earned Ketu his notoriety and his moniker as The Sonar. It was thanks to his ability to see the enemy's numbers and positions and Bumi's…unorthodox strategies that the Second Division of the United Forces was known as the most effective fighting force in all of the United Republic's military.

Seismic Sensing was both an ancient and yet new skill in earthbending. Ancient, in that badgermoles, the original earthbenders, have been using it to perceive the world around them for thousands of years. And new, in that Toph, Ketu's grandmother, was the first known human to use the skill, who then proceeded to teach others how to use it as well.

And while Ketu's skill with Seismic Sensing wasn't nearly on the same level as his famed grandmother, who was reputed to have been able to track a single person in a crowd from over a mile away, he still liked to think that his Seismic Sensing was second only to hers. Toph herself had taught Ketu how to use his Seismic Sense when he was 11. And after that, he'd always attempted to use it constantly just as she did.

His skills eventually progressed to the point that, unlike most benders such as his mother and grandfather, Aang, Ketu didn't require some great and powerful strike to cause strong enough vibrations to allow him to see. Instead, like Toph, he was able to continuously sense the world around him by feeling all of the collective movement around him. However, due to the… 'disadvantage' of not being born blind, Ketu still relied heavily on his eyes in his day-to-day activities, and thus, he wasn't able to _see_ as clearly as Toph. He could still sense when something was _off_, but it took him several precious moments to be able to focus his full attention on whatever it was in order to get a clearer picture.

At least, that was how it normally worked. From an early age, Tenzin tried to instill in his son the importance of meditation and detaching yourself from the world. He told the young boy that the key to meditation was to focus inwards and ignore all distractions and stimulation from the outside world. However, Ketu found that by doing the opposite of how his father instructed him, by completely giving in to his earthbending in order to focus on the world around him, he was able to achieve a level of Seismic Sensing that he believed was on par with even his grandmother's. When he was in this state of meditation, Ketu wasn't just 'seeing with his feet' anymore. He was able to_ feel_ every bit of earth within his range of observation as if it were a part of him.

Ketu was used to monitoring dozens of square miles and tracking the movements of hundreds of combatants on active battlefields. As such, keeping watch over a plot of land as small as Air Temple Island was child's play by comparison. It was good, then, that Tenzin chose to start Korra's second day of training off with a morning meditation session. It allowed Ketu to do surveillance across the island while his father, Korra, and his siblings meditated without seeming out of place.

At least not _too_ out of place, since he wasn't meditating _with_ them, so much as _near_ them. While Tenzin, Korra, and the children were sitting in a shaded, wooden gazebo, Ketu was perched on top of a large boulder that was just off the path that led to the meditation spot. Ketu had a natural aversion to most wooden structures since trying to use his Seismic Sensing through wood was like trying to hear someone talk while wearing earplugs.

Even though Ketu could 'see' across the entire island, things that were closer to him were still 'louder' and harder to ignore, Because of that, he could tell from her irregular breathing and elevated heartrate that Korra was struggling to relax and remain calm as he and his family mediated.

"I think I'm doing wrong," she finally said, slumping forward.

"There's nothing _to do_," Tenzin explained. "Let your mind and your spirit be free, for Air is the element of freedom."

Korra then let out a somewhat cynical bark of laughter.

"Is something…funny?" Tenzin asked with a deep frown.

"Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me study without _constantly _looking over my shoulder," she answered with a scowl. "And forget about leaving this island to go catch a Pro-bending match or something."

"Please, Korra," he reprimanded. "Look at Meelo. _He_ is able meditate peacefully."

"Actually," Ketu interjected without even opening his eyes. "He's been asleep for the last 10 minutes."

"What?!" Tenzin asked, slightly alarmed. "Why didn't you say anything?" He looked to his older son.

"He's 5 years-old," Ketu said, cracking an eye open as he turned his head in the others' direction. "What did you expect?"

"Well, at least he has the relaxing part down," Tenzin said with a sigh.

"Whatever," Korra said dismissively. "None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me."

"Then don't focus on airbending," Ketu said, closing his eyes once again.

"Huh?"

"You're the Avatar," he continued. "You can concentrate on any of the other three elements that you want. Focus on absorbing the energy of the sun or feeling the movements of the tide, or heck, you could even come up with Pro-bending strategies in your head if you want," he said with a smirk. "As my father said, 'meditation is all about relaxing,' so just do what comes naturally."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"I suppose so," Tenzin said with some disappointment. "Although you _should_ be focused on airbending, the important thing is the meditation itself."

"All right, I'll give it another shot," Korra relented with a small shrug.

Even as he was trying to track the movements of the White Lotus sentries, looking for any sort of weaknesses or blind spots in their patrols, Ketu could still tell that Korra was struggling to find any sort of inner peace. She only managed to stay still and silent for another 5 minutes before giving up.

"Yeah, I think I'm done," she said, rising to her feet.

"Korra, the meditation's not over yet," Tenzin scolded.

"I'm gonna get a glass of lychee juice," Korra said without bothering to look back at the airbending master.

Ketu rose to his feet as the young woman walked past him, headed along the path that led to the island's main compound. As the two of them were leaving, Ketu could hear one of his younger sisters, probably Ikki, ask their father for some refreshments as well; a request that the older man quickly denied.

* * *

Being raised completely cut off from the outside world meant that there were a lot of things that Korra had heard about but never got the chance to experience. At the top of that list for her was getting to see a Pro-bending match, in-person. Ever since she was a little girl, Korra had heard about the sport and how the best benders in the world competed against one another to prove who had the best skills. She'd even heard that entirely new bending styles had been invented in order to better compete in the ring.

Listening to the matches on the radio with Ketu the night before had been fun, but it still couldn't compare to actually seeing the competitors slug it out for real. After having another fruitless day of training and studying, Korra'd had about all she could take of Tenzin and his 'endless wisdom.' She was _going_ to see the Pro-bending matches tonight, no matter how mad Tenzin might get.

She'd successfully snuck out of her room without waking anyone up and made her way past several of the White Lotus sentries. Korra was on a mad dash to the end of a cliff overlooking Yue Bay in the same direction as the Pro-bending arena. She was gathering her concentration to summon a pillar of water to cushion her jump when a voice called out behind her.

"Nice night for an escape, isn't it?" Korra was so startled that she stumbled and nearly fell on her face.

"Would you, _please_, stop doing that, Ketu?!" the irate Avatar demanded, even as she pondered the irony that the young man had unintentionally quoted his own grandmother.

"Sorry about that," her police-appointed bodyguard smirked, clearly completely unapologetic. This was the first time Korra had seen the young man out-of-uniform. At the moment, Ketu was only wearing grey cargo pants with a dark green hooded jacket, as well as his ever-present orange scarf, none of his metalbending gear to be seen. He didn't look anything at all like a police officer, former soldier, or grandson of an Avatar. Right now, he looked just like any other 18 year-old.

Despite his informal attire, Korra couldn't help but think that he looked really good in that outfit. "So, um, how'd you know I was out here?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't blushing.

"Master of Recon and Surveillance, remember?" Ketu asked sarcastically. "I wouldn't be very good at my job, if I couldn't tell when you planned to sneak out, now would I?"

"So what? You want me to go back to the temple, or else you're gonna tell Tenzin, right?" Korra huffed indignantly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I work for the Police Department," Ketu declared. "I don't report to the White Lotus _or my father_."

That response took Korra somewhat by surprise as her arms dropped back down to her sides. She had been sure that the Police Department and White Lotus were working together to make sure that she behaved herself while in Republic City.

"Listen, Korra," Ketu continued. "I'm your bodyguard. It's my job to _protect you_, not to keep you prisoner," he explained. "If you want to get off this island to get some breathing room, then that's fine. _Believe me_, I get it. Just let me know next time. That way, I don't have to wonder if you got kidnapped or something."

Korra smirked. "You really think that anyone would be able to kidnap _me_?" she asked arrogantly as she pointed a thumb towards her chest.

"Just because you're the Avatar, doesn't mean you're invincible," the Ketu said with a frown.

Korra's confident smile faltered at his reprimanding. "Yeah, alright," she admitted with a shrug. "So I'm gonna go catch a Pro-bending match," she declared as she pointed to the gold-colored arena across the bay. "Wanna come with?"

"Obviously, anywhere that you go, I go too," her bodyguard explained. "Even if you decide to go on a date, I'll be there, ten paces behind the two of you."

"Eww, that's, like...an invasion of privacy or something," Korra complained, turning away from Ketu and trying to cover up her blush as she imagined herself on a date with a certain guy.

Ketu rolled his eyes at Korra's overreaction. "So. We gonna get going or what?" he asked. "The final match of the night is gonna get started soon."

"Right," Korra said as she made her way to the edge of the cliff. "Just hang onto me, and I'll get us there in no time."

"Yeah, we're not swimming through freezing water," Ketu stated simply.

"Well then, how do you expect to get over there?" Korra asked as she looked towards the arena in confusion. "We can't exactly take the ferry. The White Lotus won't give us a ride and they'll go wake up Tenzin the moment they see us."

"Don't worry," Ketu assured her. "I've got my own ride," he said, reaching into his pocket.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Woo-hoo! I'm back, baby!**

**Sorry about the extra weeklong wait. Got a new job and new apartment, so that kind of cut into my writing time. I live in an area that's been flooding a lot the last couple of years, and they're already predicting another one for this coming spring. Unfortunately, my school is on the other side of the river, so I had to move over to that side while I had the chance or else I'd be taking a 3-hour detour every day I had classes.**

**But now, that's all done. You guys can expect the chapter in 2 weeks (12/27). You can think of it as a belated Christmas present. As always, thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you like. Have a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays, and stay safe if you're traveling.**

**-Ominous Out**


	11. Chapter 11: Old Friends and New Ones

Chapter 11: Old Friends and New Ones

Sky bison were some of the most unique creatures in all the world. Their very existence was a testament to the miracle of bending. Sky bison were 10-ton, six-limbed mammals with a thick, heavy coat of fur. They had to be one of least aerodynamic animals of all time. And yet, despite that, there was no other creature in the world that could fly faster or longer than a sky bison.

In fact, it was thanks to Avatar Aang's sky bison, Appa, that the young airbender and his friends were able to travel all the way from the South Pole to the North, from one end of the planet to the other, in just a few short weeks. Even when compared to the ferocious strength of the dragons, the sky bison was still considered to be the King of the Skies. And it was all thanks to their inherent airbending abilities.

However, even though they had enormous amounts of raw, physical strength, sky bison were still large grazing herbivores. This meant that they were often preyed upon by more aggressive predators, so most bison were extremely distrustful of all outsiders. As such, the only people that sky bison have ever been known to associate with were their fellow airbenders, the Air Nomads. Even Appa, who was known to have allowed many non-airbenders to pilot and direct him, only did so because those people were close friends with his rider, Aang.

Because he wasn't an airbender, Ketu would never be able to truly bond with a sky bison like his grandfather and the other Air Nomads. Luckily for him, his father _was_ an airbender and had his own sky bison. From the day Ketu was born, Oogi had been watching over the young boy as if he were his own calf. Over the years, Ketu and Oogi had developed a special bond and created several secret signals that even Tenzin didn't know about, one of which consisted of three short bursts from the Ketu's bison whistle. This let Oogi know that it was Ketu who was summoning him, and he didn't want the bison to make too much noise on his approach.

"Woah!" Korra said in amazement. "You have your own air bison?"

"Nah, of course not," Ketu corrected. "This is Oogi, my father's bison. This big guy's been lookin' out for me even before I could walk," he explained with a fond smile. "And the two of us have been sneaking out since I was old enough to say 'Yip-yip.'"

"Wait, if he's your dad's bison, how do you know he won't just go wake up Tenzin?" she asked.

"What?" Ketu asked, in mock-offense. "Oogi's my best buddy!" he defended.

Korra raised an eyebrow at his declaration. "What about Nima?" she asked, curiously.

"Huh? Oh her? Well, that's different," he explained as he rubbed at his upper lip. "Anyway, Oogi can keep a secret, can't you, Big Guy?" he said to bison, scratching behind Oogi's ear.

The bison let out a loud, rumbling "MRAUGH!" to answer the young man's question.

"SHHH!" Ketu quickly commanded as he stopped scratching and practically jumped on the bison's snout to try to muffle him.

Oogi then gave a noticeably quieter "_mruhhh" _as if the bison were trying to whisper. Ketu then sent a nervous grin to Korra in embarrassment.

"Anyway, we should get going if we don't want to miss the match," he said, climbing onto Oogi's back and taking the reins. Korra smiled and climbed on as well. With a quiet "_Yip-yip_" and a snap of the reins, the two teenagers were on their way and soaring above the waters of Yue Bay.

Korra was grinning like a madwoman; she couldn't wipe the smile off her face even if she wanted to. Not only was she finally getting to see a Pro-bending match for the first time, she was also getting her first experience at flying too.

As a natural-born waterbender, swimming had always been a favorite pastime for Korra. The sensation of flight was like swimming, but more exhilarating and freeing. There was also just the tiniest sense of danger, the fear that she might fall, but it only served to make the whole experience that much more thrilling. She could finally understand why Air was considered the Element of Freedom. For the first time since arriving on Air Temple Island, Korra suddenly thought that all the annoying studying and tedious meditation might just be worth it, if it meant that, one day, she would have the ability to fly under her own power.

Korra was so caught up in her own excitement that she almost didn't notice that their short trip across the bay was about to come to an end. "Hey, take us right over there," she directed, pointing to an open window on the back of the building, overlooking the water. "We should be able jump in through that window if Oogi can get us in close enough."

Ketu turned his head to Korra as he gave her a look. "Please, don't tell me that you just suggested _breaking and entering to __**a police officer**_," he remarked.

The young woman at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Well, I don't have any money," she admitted.

"HA! Is that what you were worried about?" Ketu let out a bark of laughter. "I was always planning on buying your ticket for you," he explained as Oogi landed in one of the back alleys near the arena.

* * *

Her whole life, Korra had always taken great pride in the fact that she was the Avatar: the respect and deference that others gave to her, the fact that every person in the world knew who she was. However, after Ketu bought their tickets for the Pro-bending match and nobody had immediately recognized her, she couldn't help but think that not being the Avatar wouldn't be too bad, at least for a little while.

No one was gawking at her, waiting to see how she'd act or what she would do, she could just be Korra, a 17 year-old girl who loved Pro-bending, without having to worry about the expectations of others. And without his uniform on, no one would suspect that Ketu was actually her police-appointed bodyguard. Right now, they probably looked like two regular teenagers out on a date. Korra couldn't keep the blush off her face as she came to that realization.

They were walking with the crowd when Ketu quickly grabbed her wrist and led her down a secluded hallway. "Hey, the match is gonna start soon, and the signs say that our seats are that way," Korra said, referring to the direction that the crowd was moving in. "What are we doing back here?" she asked. The hallway was completely barren except for a single large, closed door with a sign bearing the words "EMPLOYEES ONLY."

"Don't worry," Ketu assured her as he placed his hand just under the doorknob. He must have used some sort of metalbending trick because there was an audible "_click_" from the door, the unmistakable noise of a lock being removed. "I'm gonna make sure we have the best seats in the house," he said as he opened the door.

The room that they entered must have been some sort of Pro-bending gym. In addition to the regular weights and work-out equipment, there were also several piles of rock discs, clay jars full of water, and numerous target dummies. And the large, spacious area provided plenty of room to practice in. "Weren't _you _just lecturing _me_ about breaking and entering?" Korra asked as she looked around and tried to find this 'best seat in the house.'

However, before she could lecture the young man any more about his own hypocrisy, a grizzled voice called out to them from the adjoining room. "Hey! What are you kids doin' in my gym?!" It was an older man with tanned skin and white hair wearing a stained gym shirt with a towel strung over his shoulders. His muscular arms were an odd contrast to his large pot-belly.

Unfortunately, before Korra could come up with an excuse, maybe something about getting lost on the way to the bathroom, Ketu answered, seemingly determined to make the whole situation worse. "Well, we were _trying_ to find us some better seats to watch the match. Everything was going great until this greasy, old hog-monkey decided come in and bother us," he explained, looking down his nose at the gym manager.

"Why you!?" the old man said, clenching his fists. "That's it! I'm taking you both to security!" he declared.

Ketu continued to antagonize the old man before Korra even got a chance to try to resolve the situation. Why would Ketu try to get them kicked out if he'd already gone to the trouble of paying for their tickets? "Oh yeah, and then what? Are you gonna call _my mom_ or something?" Ketu asked sarcastically. "You know, she's still not gonna go out with you," he said with a smirk.

That response caused both Korra and the old man to pause and look at Ketu in confusion. Then the old man's face slowly morphed into one a look of recognition. "Wait a second," he said as a small smile formed. "Ketu…Ketu Beifong, is that you, you loud-mouthed rascal?" he asked.

Ketu merely smiled and gave a small shrug in response.

"HA-HA! It is you!" the old man laughed as he wrapped one arm around the younger man's shoulders. "What are doing here?" he asked.

"Well, last time we talked, you said you'd be willing to hook me up with 'the best seats in the house,'" Ketu defended.

"You know that's not what I mean, you little turd," the old man said, rolling his eyes but still sporting a large, happy grin. "Last I heard, you were patrolling the South Arctic with your uncle. What are you doing back in the city?" he asked again.

"I resigned my commission. I'm with the Police Force now," Ketu explained as he pulled his badge out from his jacket's pocket as proof.

"So, I take it you know who this old guy is?" Korra asked Ketu, relieved that they weren't about to get thrown out before she got the chance to actually see her first Pro-bending match.

Despite an indignant scoff from the man at being called an 'old guy,' Ketu answered Korra's question. "Oh yeah," he confirmed. "This cantankerous, old codger is Toza. He is a former Pro-bending Champ from like a hundred years ago or something," he continued with a cheeky smirk, "and he was also the coach for the Junior-bending league back when I was a kid."

"Nice to meet ya," Toza said, holding out a hand to Korra. Korra hesitated for a moment before taking his grizzled and heavily calloused hand with her own. "Like that smart-alecked twerp said, the name's Toza," he introduced himself. "Former captain of the Boar-q-pines and champion Pro-bender from _**3 years ago**_," he directed that last part loudly in Ketu's direction.

The younger man merely snorted in amusement. "Anyway," Ketu prompted, all of his teasing attitude now gone, as he suddenly seemed somewhat embarrassed, "you know I'd hate to ask-"

"EH, don't worry, kid," Toza interrupted, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture. "I gotcha covered."

"It's just, we were kinda late getting in," Ketu explained as he rubbed the back of his neck, "and all the only tickets they had left were all in the nosebleeds, so-"

"Hey! I said don't worry about it," Toza said, clapping the younger man on the back. "After everything that your mother did to take care of those triads that were hasslin' me, you guys may as well have season-tickets as far as I'm concerned."

Ketu smiled as his former coach reassured him. "You know offering Mom season-tickets isn't going to get her to accept a date from you, right?" Ketu asked as he went back to teasing the older man.

"Hey, I only asked her out _one time_," Toza explained. "I got message after she knocked my block off the first time," he added, mostly to himself as he rubbed his jaw nurturingly, as though he were remembering some previous injury that still ached from time to time. "Alright, let's get going. Tonight's match is gonna get started soon," the old gym owner said, motioning for the two teens to follow him. "I know just who to talk to. Used to be students of mine, just like Ketu."

"Oh no. Don't tell me we're going to see Tahno," Ketu groaned.

"Wait, who's Tahno?" Korra asked.

"He's annoying," Ketu answered simply without elaborating any further.

"Nah, you've never met these guys," Toza assured him. "They didn't come on until a couple years after you left with your uncle. They started off straight into the Minors and made Pro in less than 3 years."

Ketu let out an impressed whistle. Most teams had to spend at least 5 years in the Minors before getting the offer to move up. The Wolfbats were the only other team Ketu had heard of that managed to go Pro in less time.

"Yeah," Toza said proudly, puffing out his chest a little. "These boys are pretty impressive. I'm hoping they'll knock that preening peacock down a peg or two," he added with a predatory grin.

* * *

Mako was inspecting his gear just as he did before every Pro-bending match. This ritual served two purposes. First, it helped to calm his nerves. In just a couple of minutes, he was going to have to compete in an incredibly intense match in front of hundreds of people, and that's not including the potential thousands who were listening in on their radios.

The second reason was more practical. Faulty equipment could lead to serious injury, or even worse, it could cost the Fire Ferrets the match. Sure, Mako liked Pro-bending as much as the next guy, but he didn't have a passion for it like his earthbending little brother did. Bolin enjoyed the competition, strategizing, and the cheering of the crowd. And Mako could understand the appeal to a certain extent, but to him, Pro-bending was primarily just a source of income. It was a way to keep a roof over his and his brother's heads and food on their table.

It wasn't like the two of them could just decide to become accountants or engineers at Cabbage Corp. or something. Mako and Bolin had grown up on the streets, so they never really got what most people would call 'a proper education.' That meant that, when it came to employment opportunities, there weren't a whole lot of options aside from getting paid to beat the tar out of people, and Pro-bending was just about the only job where you could do that. Well, the only _legal_ job, anyway. But after everything that he, Bolin, and Toza did to get out from under Zolt and the Triple Threat's collective thumb, Mako wasn't about to go back to that life anytime soon.

Mako sent a small fireball into the padding of one of his pauldrons; barely strong enough to singe the hair off someone's knuckles, but still powerful enough to test the padding's fire resistance. He followed it up with a quick strike with his fist to make sure the shock absorption would still hold up. If all of the gear was up-to-standard, a Pro-bender could spend the entire match doing nothing but tanking hits, and they'd still be able to walk away with only minor bruising. But if any of the gear failed, it could lead to serious injury or worse.

The match was just a few minutes away from starting, and Bolin still hadn't shown up. Meanwhile, their team's waterbender, Hasook, was lounging on the bench in the team's ready room as though the upcoming match couldn't have meant less to him. Mako was just about to over and lecture him about taking this match seriously when the door burst open and Bolin came in out of breath.

"Whew," Bolin said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized with a nervous smile and his green eyes twinkling. He was obviously hoping to avoid any chewing out that Mako wanted to give him.

"Just what was taking you so long?" Mako asked as he looked down on Bolin. Well, at least he was _trying_ to tower over Bolin, but that was kind of hard considering that Bolin had him beat in terms of size by a few kilos. Despite being the younger brother, Bolin was about an inch taller than Mako, and being an earthbender meant that he had a lot more muscle mass compared to the leaner frame of his firebending brother.

In spite of all that, Bolin was still cowed by the mere presence of his older brother. "Well, you see," he tried to begin, "I was, um-"

"You were out looking for fangirls again, weren't you?" Mako inferred as he gave Bolin a look that let him know he was disappointed.

Bolin merely gave a small but guilty half-smile and shrugged as a way of confirming Mako's suspicion.

Mako rolled his eyes and sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Bolin's search for a girlfriend was about to cost the two of them this month's rent. Sure, they still got paid even if they lost, but it wasn't nearly as much as if they managed to win. Mako'd done the math; they _needed_ to win at least their next 2 matches or else they would be forced to live on the streets again.

"Alright, listen up guys," he said, getting Hasook's attention as well. "We're in the final few matches of the qualifiers. At this point, it's do-or-die. We need to win all our matches from here on out, or else we can kiss the Championship goodbye." He was about to go into the best strategy for taking on the Tiger-Dillos when the door to the room opened back up again.

"…and then she said, 'The next time you think you can win me over with some free tickets, I'll be sure to save a cell for you for trying to bribe a police officer,'" a young man in a dark green jacket said with a large smile as he walked through the door.

Mako was about to tell him get out when a Water Tribe girl, his girlfriend probably, followed him in along with Mako and Bolin's old Pro-bending coach, Toza. "What happened after that?" the young woman asked.

"I don't really know," Toza answered. "One second, I'm about to try and talk to her again, and then the next thing I know, some rock comes flyin' in so fast I can barely see it and clocks me right in the jaw," he said, rubbing his chin at the memory.

"Hey Toza," Bolin spoke up. "Who're your friends?" he asked motioning to the two strangers.

"Oh right," the old man said as he seemed to finally remember where he was. "You guys wouldn't mind letting one of Republic City's Finest sit in on one of your matches, would ya?" he asked as he slapped a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Of course not," Mako answered quickly, almost excitedly. "W-well, I what I mean is: Y-yes, you can watch the match from, uh - in here," he corrected nervously as he hoped that his message wasn't misinterpreted.

However, before he could continue to try to clarify further, Hasook spoke up. "And we're just supposed to believe that _you're_ actually a police officer?" he asked skeptically. "You seem a little young."

Before Mako could reprimand his teammate about questioning Toza's judgement, the young man in question answered by reaching into his jacket's pocket and pulling out his badge as proof.

"Oo-oo," Bolin said in fascination. "Wait! Are you really a metalbender?" he asked as he noticed the silver star inlaid upon the golden shield.

Rather than answering the young police officer smirked and dropped his badge. But before it could clatter to the ground, it stopped in mid-air and hovered several inches below his open palm.

"Oh, that's so COOL!" Bolin gushed as he moved in close to inspect the floating police badge.

"That enough proof for you?" Mako asked Hasook.

The waterbender gave an indignant "_Humph_" as he shoved his helmet on his head and moved to the now-extending bridge that led out to the Pro-bending ring.

"Um…well, I hope you enjoy the match," Mako said the police officer.

"This is going to be so cool," the Water Tribe girl said. "I can't wait!"

"Right," Mako said, dismissing the young woman's excitement and walking with Bolin to follow Hasook out to the ring.

From behind his back, Mako could hear the young woman say, "He doesn't need to be such a jerk."

"I think our new friend is just trying to get 'in the zone' as they say," her boyfriend defended.

Mako couldn't help but smile as the young man accurately read his intentions. It was then that he realized that he hadn't ask for either one of their names. However, little things like that would have to wait. Mako settled into his fighting stance as he prepared for the bending blows to start flying.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, hope you had a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays. If you're still celebrating, I hope it's going well.**

**You may have noticed that Mako seemed a little OOC when compared to his canon introduction with Korra. That was actually by design. One of the things I hope to do with this story is flesh out the personalities and motivations of characters that, I felt, were neglected in canon. I've always felt that Mako suffered from this the worst. One example is his career in law enforcement. In Book 1, Mako never showed any special deference for the Police or the rule of law. And yet from the beginning of Book 2 to the very end of the series, and even onward, his entire character seems to revolve around his identity as a cop.**

**Now in my story, I'm trying to establish that passion a little better. As you can see, once Mako found out Ketu was law enforcement, he immediately got Mako's respect, even without knowing his name. I also plan on expanding Mako's backstory a little but without contradicting what was already established because that was another treasure trove of possibilities that went completely unused.**

**Now, I don't want everyone to think that I'm just ripping on Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino or that I don't respect their creative work. I do, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have devoted literally hundreds of hours of my free time writing fan-fiction about it. I also realize that they had to worry about things like production deadlines, budget constraints, and various other factors. Luckily for me, I don't have those sorts of concerns, so I'm going to try to write the best and most cohesive story that I can while trying to stay true the spirit of the original story.**

**Whew! Got a little preachy there...Next chapter should be out in 3 weeks (1/17). Once again, sorry for the extra week, but I'm starting classes again on 1/6, and I don't want to promise you guys a 2 week deadline and then fail to deliver. ****As always thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed Chapter 11 (kind of had issues coming up with a good chapter title). Everyone have a Happy New Year's and celebrate safely.**

**-Ominous Out**


	12. Chapter 12: New Styles

Chapter 12: New Styles

When it came to Pro-bending, firebenders were in a unique situation. Unlike the earthbenders and waterbenders, who were naturally limited by the availability of their elements, firebenders were able to produce their own element from their own chi. As such, there were rules in place preventing firebenders from going too crazy with the amount of flames they produced. That meant that when it came down to it, it wasn't about the how much power a firebender used but how he used it. If Mako were a more prideful person, he might consider himself to be a master of control and precision.

And right now, he'd have to be just to survive the round. The Fire Ferrets were in their third round against the Golden Temple Tigerdillos, Mako was the only Ferret still in the ring, and he'd already been pushed back to Zone 3. Meanwhile, all 3 of the Tigerdillos were in his team's Zone 2, ready to force him over the edge and claim victory.

Mako would be the first to admit that he may have gotten a little ahead of himself in the first round. He was kind of nervous about not making a fool of himself in front of Toza's guest, who was watching from his team's ready room, and despite that, he'd taken a solid hit while performing a somewhat over-the-top backflip and he'd been forced back along with Bolin and Hasook, costing his team the first round. Luckily, he'd managed to find his stride and just barely managed to clinch a win in the second round.

However, the 3-on-1 mess he currently found himself in could be blamed entirely on his team's waterbender. Somehow, Hasook made the total rookie mistake of actually running into his own teammate. Hasook managed to tackle Bolin to the ground, leaving them open to an attack which sent them both over the edge. After being left to fend for himself, Mako was eventually pushed back to the very edge of the ring. One misstep and he'd be taking a dip, and any chance his team had at making it to the Championship would be gone for good.

"_It's all up to Mako now_!" the voice of Shiro Shinobi came in over the arena's loudspeakers, only making Mako's desperate situation all the more apparent.

At that moment, Mako wanted nothing more than to take Shiro's microphone and shove it straight—. Unfortunately, his angry rantings were cut short as he just barely avoided a rock disc that missed his head by mere inches.

One of the first things that Mako learned in Pro-bending was that it was easier to avoid an attack than trying to block it. Even though, initially, every instinct he had was screaming at him to stand his ground and use his firebending to try to reduce the damage of the blow, it quickly became clear that he would only end up burning through all of his energy at a much faster rate. Even if it left you open to taking the full force of the hit should you fail to move out of the way in time, dodging was the most efficient way of ensuring that you incurred the least amount of damage.

After 2 years and literally hundreds of hours of practice, Mako had overcome his initial hang-ups and now had better spatial awareness than most of the other Pros. And his skills were on full display right now.

"_He's bobbing and weaving, he's weaving and bobbing, but he's not hitting back,_" Shiro commented. "_If Mako's knocked out the Ferrets' fabulous season is over._"

Mako growled to himself as the overly enthusiastic commentator felt the need to point out the obvious and put that much more pressure on the last Ferret standing. And he was definitely feeling the pressure as he was forced to avoid an all-out assault from all 3 elements. Given the close range of his opponents, Mako was still on the very edge of the ring with barely any room to move, and the water was waiting for him below. But he had a plan. Mako knew the Tigerdillos were one of the most aggressive teams in the league; they relied on overwhelming their opponents before they ever got the chance to hit back.

"_He is dancing on the edge of the ring, surviving the three-on-one barrage,_" Shiro continued. "_It seems his plan is to let the Tigerdillos punch themselves out._"

Mako really wished someone would take that mic away from the tiny man in the booth as he deliberately pointed out Mako's plan for the whole world to hear. Luckily by now, Mako's plan had already begun to take effect as the Tigerdillos' strikes had become noticeably weaker.

Mako finally decided to launch his first attack, sending a fire blast at the Tigerdillo waterbender.

"_And his plan is working!_"

By now, like the other Tigerdillos, the waterbender was completely worn out, so his meager water defense was instantly evaporated upon contact with Mako's fire blast, sending him over 5 zones back and careening into the water below the platform.

"_Hahn is in the pool, they've got nothing left in the tank, and Mako is on the offensive!"_ Shiro exclaimed.

Mako realized that they were in the endgame now. Neither he nor any of the Tigerdillos had the strength or energy to keep going. The winner of this match was going to be decided by the end of this round. The only chance Mako had now was to keep up his momentum and not give the Tigerdillos a chance to recover.

"_It's two-on-one,_" Shiro announced. However, he quickly had to correct himself as Mako launched an incredibly powerful fire blast with an overhead kick, causing the Tigerdillos' firebender to bounce off one of the railing's posts and into the water. "_Scratch that; it's one-on-one,"_ Shiro rectified, "_and it's an Earth and Fire __**slugfest**__!"_

The last Tigerdillo seemed to have somewhat regained his footing as he was now exchanging quick and rapid strikes with Mako, blow-for-blow, as their attacks collided in mid-air. The resulting dust cloud obscured everyone's vision of the ring. Unfortunately for the Tigerdillo, this gave Mako the opportunity to land a solid hit on him, driving him back. However, unlike his teammates, the earthbender managed to stop himself just before he was pushed over the edge of the ring. He summoned an earth disc as he got ready to defend himself.

"_There's so much smoke and dust from the firefight I can't even see where the Fire Ferret is,"_ Shiro commented.

The earthbender knew that since he was pushed this far back, that meant Mako was now allowed to advance. In mere seconds, their situations had become completely reversed. Mako must have been able to move faster than the he anticipated because, rather than trying to defend himself, the final Tigerdillo seemed unable to do anything other than look on in shock as Mako burst forth from the dust cloud, a fire ball already summoned at the end of his fist. Mako sent one last powerful blast into his opponent's chest, knocking him over the edge, and claiming victory.

"_It's a knockout!_" Shiro declared. "_What a wing-dinger of a hat-trick, folks. Mako pulls off the upset of the season, winning the match for the Fire Ferrets!_"

* * *

Korra was having the time of her life. Being able to actually watch a real Pro-bending match was so much more exciting than she imagined it would be, especially the final round. That rude firebender, Mako was his name apparently, was on the cusp of losing, with 3-against-1 odds against him. And yet, he still managed to completely turn things around and clinch a victory right out of the jaws of defeat. Korra and the rest of the spectators had all been on the edge of their seats up until the very end; well, almost all the spectators.

About 30 seconds after Mako had been left on his own, Ketu decided to quit watching the match. When Korra sent him a questioning look, he merely responded by saying, "The match has already been decided."

"You shouldn't give up on the Ferrets yet," Korra reprimanded. "He might be able to hold out."

"That's not what I meant," Ketu clarified. "I mean that it's over for the Tigerdillos."

The nonchalant manner in which Ketu expressed his confidence in the lone firebender confused Korra. She was all for having optimism and never giving up on a fight, but come on. Realistically, the best that the Ferrets could hope for was Mako just surviving until the end of the round.

Then they would have a shot at winning the fourth and final round. If that happened, then it meant that there would be a Sudden Death round where the winners of the match would be decided. It was a longshot, but still well within the realms of possibility. The only thing Mako had to do was survive until the end of the round.

However, things didn't quite play out like Korra had predicted. Rather than staying on the defensive, Mako instead went on the attack. According to the commentator, he only did so after the Tigerdillos 'punched themselves out.' In less than minute, Mako'd managed to outmaneuver and overpower all three of his opponents and knocked them all out of the ring.

Korra turned to Ketu as he moved to stand near the bridge leading to the arena, waiting to greet the new victors. "There's no way you could have known that was going to happen," she insisted.

"You don't win a battle by being stronger than your opponent," Ketu responded with his arms crossed.

From the confused expression Korra was sending him, he could tell she didn't quite understand his statement. "You win by being the last man standing," he continued. "If you use up all your stamina before you defeat your opponents, then you lose. It doesn't matter how strong your attacks are if they fail to hit."

She then gained a look of clarity as the Fire Ferrets made their way across the catwalk back to the locker rooms. "Woohoo, yes! One more win and we're in the championship tournament," the Ferret's earthbender cheered as he moved to talk to Korra. "So, what'd you think? Bolin's got some moves, huh?" he asked in what he likely _believed_ was a suave manner.

"Knock it off, Bolin," Mako lazily said, cuffing Bolin on the back of the head as he walked by.

Ignoring their team's firebender, Bolin continued, "Yeah, anyway, if you didn't hear during the match, I'm Bolin and Mr. Grumpy-pants over there is my big brother, Mako."

"Korra," she said simply, introducing herself.

"And that guy over there is Hasook." Bolin jerked his thumb towards the corner of the room, but rather than making introductions, Hasook seemed to be preoccupied arguing with their team's captain.

"You did more harm than good out there," Mako reprimanded. "You almost cost us the match."

"We won didn't we?" Hasook asked in irritation as he took off his helmet.

"Barely!" Mako heatedly replied.

"Get off my case, pal," Hasook growled as the threw his helmet to the ground and stalked out the door.

"Useless," Mako sighed as he moved towards his own locker to take off his gear.

"You guys were incredible out there," Korra congratulated. "Especially you, Mr. Hat Trick."

"You can say that again," Ketu added, smiling. "It's been awhile since I've seen moves like that."

"O-oh, um…thanks," Mako said to Ketu as he rubbed the back of his neck, completely ignoring Korra.

Korra rolled her eyes as she was once again ignored by the rude firebender. "Anyway," she said, turning her attention back to Bolin, "I've been immersed in bending my entire life, but I never learned how to move like that." She couldn't help but smile as she recalled watch she had seen in the match. "It's like there's a whole new style here. Think you could show me a few tricks?" Korra asked with hope filling her eyes.

"Absolutely," Bolin answered in excitement.

"Right now?" Mako asked in exacerbation. "Come on, Bolin."

"Just ignore him," the younger brother said as he waved his hand. "Yeah, I could show you the basics," he continued smugly. "I'm just not sure how my earthbending would translate to your waterbending, but we'll figure it out."

"Won't be a problem," Korra said casually as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm actually an earthbender."

Bolin paused as it took him a moment to process that information. "I'm sorry, no, no. I didn't mean to assume," he said awkwardly. "Cause I, ya know…I was just figuring with your Water Tribe get-up…that you are…a water tribe…gal."

"No, you're right I'm a waterbender," Korra confirmed, once again, as casually as she could, "and a firebender." She turned her gaze towards Mako who was still by his locker.

"Mmhmm," Bolin placed his hand under his chin as he mulled over this new information. "I'm very confused right now," he concluded.

Ketu snorted in amusement. "You know? This is a lot funnier when it's not happening to me," he smiled.

"You're the Avatar," Mako said as he finally acknowledged Korra before turning his attention to the other guest. "And that would make you…"

"Ketu Beifong," he finished with a smirk. "Nice to formally meet you guys."

"No…way," Bolin said in astonishment. "It's the _Avatar_," he loudly whispered to his brother, "and Chief Beifong's _son_."

"Do you guys know my mom or something?" Ketu asked curiously.

"She helped us out of a…situation a few years ago," Mako answered vaguely.

* * *

Ketu was leaning against a wall back in the Pro-bending gym. Mako was a couple feet away from him, leaning against the wall as well. He hadn't elaborated any further about the 'situation' that his mother had helped the bending brothers out of, but Ketu'd figure it out eventually.

Meanwhile, Toza was lazily sweeping the floor. Most likely, he just wanted to keep an eye on them as they were using his equipment. The 3 of them were watching as Korra and Bolin did some target practice.

"Alright, let's see what you got," Boling said. Korra was in a traditional earthbending stance as she shot two rock discs into a net across the gym.

"That was great, good power," he said, sounding somewhat impressed, "but in a real match you'd be a sitting turtle duck." Bolin then gestured to Korra's stance.

Korra frowned, wondering what he could be talking about.

"Not so upright and flat-footed," he continued. Bolin then brought his fists up, protecting his face, and bounced around on the tips of his feet. "Stay light on your toes, right up until the moment when you need to dig in and strike. Then…pop, pop." Bolin threw two quick punches, sending two earth discs flying. Unlike Korra's straight shots, Bolin's earth discs flew in curved arc before hitting the net at precisely the same time.

Korra was slack-jawed as she tried to figure out how he did that. "Okay, let me try it again," she said, determined to duplicate Bolin's shot. Korra then brought her feet closer together and only bent her legs slightly. She gave a couple short, experimental hops from one foot to the other before planting her back foot, twisting her front, and throwing two strong punches. Two more earth discs flew across the gym in a similar manner to Bolin's.

Satisfied with her work, Korra put her hands on her hips and smiled at Bolin. Ketu didn't know why, but seeing the way that Bolin was interacting with Korra and the way she smiled at him just really irritated him.

"Wow, nice adjustment!" Bolin exclaimed. "You're a natural at this."

Finally, after deciding that he spent enough time on the sidelines, Ketu spoke up. "Don't go giving up the traditional styles just yet, Korra," he advised. "The Pro-bending styles may seem better, but only in a very specific set of circumstances."

Bolin frowned as his lesson with Korra was interrupted. "What do you mean?" Korra asked, oblivious to Bolin's mood change.

"If you're ever in a situation where your element is scarce, then the Pro-bending style is a good fallback to have," Ketu said. "But remember, the traditional styles were all developed and refined through thousands of years of war and battle."

Korra and Bolin were both silent as they pondered Ketu's words before Bolin finally spoke up. "I don't really know about that," Bolin said skeptically. "I mean, the old styles are usually pretty slow and won't let you fire off successive attacks like this." He then settled back into his boxing stance and performed a series of quick kicks and punches, sending over half a dozen earth discs flying into the net at blistering speeds. Bolin then crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at his successful demonstration.

"Maybe not," Ketu admitted, "but it doesn't need to when you can do this." Ketu planted his right foot behind him before slamming his left foot down hard, bringing him into the traditional horse stance as he mirrored Korra's original form at the start of Bolin's lesson. Although his words were confident, his movements seemed slower and clunkier than they should be, almost like he wasn't used to using this style. Nevertheless, he continued.

Ketu then pushed his right arm forward in an open-palm thrust. However, rather than launching one or two earth discs, he sent four whole stacks, more than four dozen discs in total, flying towards the net. Unlike the previous strikes which had harmlessly bounced into the net and then rolled to the ground, the multitude of earth discs was too much for the relatively weak net to handle. The connection points at the ceiling and floor snapped, causing the net and the large pile of rocks to continue on and impact the wall behind it with a near-deafening _BANG_.

Everyone in the gym, including Mako, jumped at the loud noise. Bolin and Korra were speechless.

"Ketu's right," Toza said from the corner of the gym, regaining the teens' collective attention, "an earthbender's true strength comes from their unshakeable base," he lectured. "Good luck trying to hold up a collapsing building while 'saying light on your toes.' Though, I think he could have made his point _**without destroying half of my equipment**_!" Toza irately exclaimed.

"Sorry," Ketu apologized, somewhat embarrassed. "Look, I'm not exactly what you could call a…traditional earthbender," he admitted as he spoke to both Korra and Bolin, "but I also can't deny its usefulness. What I'm trying to say is: while it couldn't hurt to try to learn Pro-bending styles, don't just immediately throw away years of hard work and practice just because some people think that 'newer' means 'better'," he said, specifically to Korra.

She was silent for a moment, however, as she began to open her mouth to respond Mako spoke up, interrupting her. "Well, I think that enough bending philosophy and gym equipment destruction for me tonight," he cut in. "It's getting late. I think I'm gonna turn in. You kids have fun," Mako said as he turned towards the exit. "It was nice to meet you, Officer Beifong," he said to Ketu formally. "You're welcome to watch matches from our ready room anytime you'd like," he offered.

"Wow, thanks, Mako. I really appreciate that," Ketu said with a grin. "Mom's gonna be so jealous when she hears," he laughed. "She's a bigger Pro-bending fan than me."

"Really?" Mako asked in surprise. "Then, please, let her know that she's welcome as well," he said eagerly.

"Will do," Ketu responded.

Mako walked past Korra on his way out the door. He simply said to her, "Avatar Korra, have a good evening."

"Yeah, been a _real pleasure,_" she said sarcastically.

Mako called out to Bolin from over his shoulder, "See you upstairs, bro."

"Upstairs?" Korra asked, surprised. "You guys live here?"

"Yup, in the attic," Bolin admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "It's nothing fancy, but we have some great views. So, back to bending, why don't you throw that combo one more time?" he asked as he brought his mind back to bending. "But first, maybe we should find a net that's still in working order," he said, remember the state of their first net.

* * *

Oogi, Ketu, and Korra were on their way back to Air Temple Island. It took a little longer to call Oogi back than they had expected. After he'd dropped the two teenagers off at the Pro-bending arena, the sky bison had decided to head back to the stables on the island to take a nap. Apparently, he wasn't too thrilled about being woken up just a few short hours after going back to sleep. He'd taken his sweet time getting there, and he'd now decided that they were going to take the 'scenic route' going back.

While Korra was fine with it as she seemed to enjoy flying, Ketu really wished that the grumpy, old furball would pick up the pace a little. If he had to guess, it was about 3 in the morning, so that meant that the first of the Air Acolytes would begin to wake up in the next couple of hours. If any of them saw Korra and him using Oogi to sneak out, the word would quickly reach his father, and he'd never hear the end of it.

Even though Ketu didn't really care how frustrated his father became about his or Korra's actions, he really didn't want to have to hear about it for hours on end. He snapped Oogi's reins to try get just a little bit more speed. Unfortunately, the only thing that he got was an indignant "_MRRAUGH_" as the sky bison decided to go a little bit slower on their approach to the island.

Ketu threw the reins to the side and lounged back on the bison's furry neck. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to go at _his pace_ then," he said with a huff.

"Well, I don't really mind," Korra said with a smile. "I've never really flown before."

Ketu smiled at her almost child-like happiness.

"So," Korra said, "I never really took you for a traditionalist."

Ketu merely shot her a questioning look, telling her to elaborate.

"You know?" she continued. "All that '_bending hasn't changed for hundreds of years_' stuff, and the newer styles are a '_mockery of the noble tradition of bending._'"

"I take it, you heard my father's little speech about Pro-bending?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "He said that you used to be in the…Junior-bending league, I think he called it?" she queried.

Ketu gave her a small nod as confirmation.

"Anyway, it kind of confused me to hear you say that the Pro-bending style wasn't useful, if you used to use it yourself," Korra said.

"I wasn't trying to say that Pro-bending was inherently inferior to the more traditional styles. In fact, I use a style that is…similar to Pro-bending's," Ketu tried to explain. "The point I was trying to make was that you shouldn't force yourself to change just because you heard that doing something one way is better than doing it another," he said.

"Just do what comes naturally. If you find that the Pro-bending style is more your speed, then use it. But if someone comes around and tells you that you're 'a sitting turtle duck,' then just be sure you blow them away with a boulder or three," Ketu finished with a smirk.

Korra giggled at the last part. As she did, Oogi finally began to move in for a landing. He brought the two teenagers down near The Gates training ground. Korra climbed off Oogi's back as Ketu whispered words of thanks to his family's sky bison. As Oogi flew off back to the stables to take a nap, it finally dawned on Korra and Ketu how tired they were after their all-nighter.

Korra yawned. "Oh man, I'm worn out," she said. "Think your dad would let me have a day off?"

"Not unless you want to tell him what we were doing all night?" Ketu answered as he stretched his arms and cracked his neck.

"And just what _was it_ the two of you were doing?" a voice asked from behind them.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about the delay guys! Classes have basically consumed my entire existence, and I totally forgot to upload this chapter last Friday. Which is really bad, considering that I had it finished last Wednesday. Anyway, if that happens again, please send me a PM letting me know, and I'll get it uploaded ASAP. I have it set up to go straight to my e-mail, so I should be able to respond on the same day.**

**I really hate to do this, but it's going to be another 3 week update again. Next chapter should be out by Friday 2/7. If Saturday or Sunday rolls around and I've failed to update again, please, message me and tell me to get on it. Lol.**

**As always thanks for reading. Please, follow/fave and leave a review. It's how I know that you want me to continue writing. I know that there's a lot of ice/snow in the American Midwest, if you're there be safe. And everyone, have a Happy New Year in 2020.**

**-Ominous Out**


	13. Chapter 13: Maintaining Control

Chapter 13: Maintaining Control

There were instincts that people developed after being in active combat for prolonged periods of time. It was a survival mechanism, one that was useful on the battlefield, but could cause mayhem anywhere else. Ketu had heard of former soldiers from the Hundred Year War who suffered from extreme reactions to things like fireworks or a satomobile crash because, for a split second, they mistook it for a flying boulder or a fire blast, and then suddenly they were back, fighting in a battle that had ended decades prior.

Almost all of the soldiers from the old war have long since passed away, and most soldiers in the modern militaries usually never see any combat, only going out on patrol or being stationed at strategically important areas where their mere presence was usually enough to keep the peace. As such, they never really had to develop those same battlefield instincts that their grandparents did. However, that wasn't the case for Ketu.

Due to Commander Bumi's decades of experience, as well as his unusually high mission success rate, the Second Division of the United Forces was almost always sent into the most dangerous areas and hotspots. And Ketu was almost always on the front lines, where his Seismic Sense was invaluable and could save the most lives. Because of their numerous combat missions, many within the Second Division had developed those same wartime instincts that the old veterans from the last war had.

Ketu knew that even he, most likely, didn't emerge from his time with the military completely, mentally unscathed. But still, he like to think that he was able to reign in those battlefield instincts better than most. Thanks to his Seismic Sensing, he had a much clearer view of the world around him than almost anyone else, so very little was ever able to surprise him. He was able to keep from ever having any one of the many episodes that he saw a lot of his comrades suffer from after going back into civilian life. However, that wasn't the case on the morning that he brought Korra back from watching her first Pro-bending match.

Since he had decided to go out in public as a civilian, in order to not draw attention to himself or Korra, Ketu was neither barefoot, nor was he wearing his metal combat boots which were able to conduct vibrations from the ground, through their metal soles, and into his feet. Instead, he was wearing a pair of light brown leather boots. And although Ketu liked to think that they looked stylish, those boots did absolutely nothing but impede his Seismic Sense.

After Ketu and Korra had landed, the two of them were having a small chat when someone had been able to sneak up behind them. And because of his poor choice in footwear, Ketu didn't even realize that they were there until they spoke. They had managed to take him completely by surprise, and he'd reacted.

It was only thanks to some small part of his brain recognizing that voice as one that had never done him harm, and one that he was always happy to hear, that allowed Ketu to stop the spinning roundhouse kick that he delivered and keep the now floating boulder from driving its way through a young woman's head. "Nima!?" Ketu asked in shock.

For a single instant, Ketu's eyes had been focused on his best friend with deadly intent. However, his face dropped just as quickly as his boulder did, and he rushed over to check on her. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry," Ketu apologized, embracing her to confirm that she was unharmed. "Are you okay?"

"Please, don't worry. I'm fine," Nima confirmed for him, Though, she was still somewhat bewildered. Nima returned his hug as she pat his back reassuringly. "Besides, I shouldn't have snuck up on you guys like that. What with, you being a bodyguard and all," she reasoned.

Ketu pulled away from Nima and bowed deeply. "Still, I'm so sorry," he said to her again.

"What are you even doing out here this late, err, uh, early?" Korra injected as she looked to Nima. Ketu looked up at her curiously as well.

"Well, I heard Oogi leaving his stable about half an hour ago. I went out and saw him flying off towards the city, so I decided to stay up and wait for him to come back to find out what was going on," Nima answered. "My question is: what were _you two_ doing out all night?" she repeated.

"Oh, um—well, you see..." Korra trailer off nervously.

Nima then turned her gaze to Ketu after Korra seemed unwilling to answer.

"Well, we...uh...kinda left to go watch a Pro-bending match," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck as he refused to look her in the eye.

Korra placed her hands together in front of her face and bowed her head. "Please, don't tell Tenzin," she begged.

Nima kept a neutral expression as she seemed to be considering her options. "Alright, fine," she relented with a casual shrug, "but on only on one condition…"

Korra looked up but still kept her hands together as she intently waited to hear Nima's demand.

"The next time that the two of you sneak out, you have to take me with you," Nima declared.

Ketu breathed a sigh of relief at her tame request. When they were children, Nima could be downright devious with her requests. Even to this day, Ketu would still get embarrassed about the time she made him shave floral patterns into the side of his head, just shortly after he decided to start growing his hair back.

Korra, however, seemed less than thrilled with the arrangement. "Okay then," she said, crossing her arms across her chest. "You can come with us _next time_," she worded carefully.

"Nuh-uh," Nima said, not falling for Korra's obvious attempt at deception, "not _just _next time. Anytime you two decide to leave, you have to at least let me know."

"For how long?" Korra scowled.

"Depends," Nima supplied with an almost cheery grin. "How long do want me to _not tell_ Master Tenzin about your…nightly activities?"

Korra ground her teeth at the young nun's ultimatum. "Fine," she relented before turning to the main temple and heading to her room.

Following along behind Korra, Ketu was very confused. When did those two start disliking each other? Just the other day, they were practically best friends as they teamed up to tease him. Korra must really enjoy her privacy if the addition on just one more person to the relatively large locker room was enough to set her over the edge. And Nima must have been a bigger Pro-bending fan than Ketu remembered if she was that put out about not being included in their little excursion night before.

* * *

If there was one thing that Korra took great pride in, other than her bending, it was her determination; though some would call it her just being stubborn. Considering just how badly she was doing in her airbending training, she was going to need every ounce of that stubbornness just to keep from giving up. Up until now, that boldly facing her challenges head-on had worked out for all her previous bending training. However, while not always the best option, that single-minded determination usually rewarded her with at least some modicum of perceivable progress.

Unfortunately, as she was being smacked around by the spinning Gates, Korra realized that she was still at the same level that she was on her very first lesson, and it frustrated her. She looked at the other people gathered around her. The airbending kids were shouting incoherent, and possibly contradicting, words of encouragement to her. Korra appreciated the sentiment, but it really was doing nothing but distracting her. Ketu, meanwhile, was sitting on a boulder a few meters away from the others as he meditated, though he claimed that he was doing 'a sweep of the area.'

Korra couldn't help but think that the image of a fully-armored, metalbending police officer serenely meditating under the shade of a tree as his orange scarf blew around in the autumn wind looked somewhat ridiculous. She was also rather disappointed to see that he was back in his police uniform. Korra had hoped that after last night, the two of them would have gotten closer, and they could drop the whole 'bodyguard/protectee' relationship and move forward from there.

Korra could feel her cheeks warm up as she thought about her 'relationship' with Ketu…progressing. Wait, where did _that_ come from? And where exactly did she want it to 'move forward' to? Korra then charged headlong into the Gates again, trying to take her mind off of those ideas. She could hear Tenzin reprimand her as she rushed back towards the Gates.

"Patience, Korra!" he called out to her.

Korra all but completely ignored him as she was too caught up within her own thoughts. Korra realized from the moment that she met him that Ketu was an attractive guy with his handsome features and impressive metalbending skills. But after she found out just who he was and what he was like, she couldn't help but think, at least on some intellectual level, that a relationship between the two of them just couldn't work out. After all, they were so different from one another.

Despite being the Avatar, Korra's family life was pretty normal when compared to the other families in the South Pole. Ketu's, on the other hand, was definitely not what most would call your 'typical nuclear family,' and that wasn't even including whatever issues he was having with his father, who was also Korra's airbending instructor. Not to mention, the fact that his mother couldn't seem to tolerate her presence just made everything all the more complicated. While Korra was isolated from most of the outside world during her training, Ketu was out exploring that world, fighting criminals, and protecting people. When he was a military officer, Korra was _still_ just trying to master basic fire- and earthbending.

And even though he was only a year older than her, he had an air of maturity and wisdom about him that Korra could only hope to one day match. At best, Korra believed that Ketu would only ever look at her like a little sister, like Jinora or Ikki; someone who was desperately trying to seem older than she actually was as Ketu helped to guide her down a path that he had long ago treaded.

At least, that's what she thought up until last night. Korra wasn't entirely sure, but she was almost certain that Ketu had gotten jealous last night when she was training with Bolin. And was he trying to show off when he launched those earth discs that tore down the net? Korra was looking forward to seeing how things would go tonight. However, one irritating thought occurred to her.

This was enough to distract her for a moment, which allowed several of the spinning gates to knock her around. By the time she finally regained her footing, she was right in the middle of the Gates with no clear avenue of escape. The traitorous thought that had landed her in this situation was the realization that it wouldn't just be the two of them going out tonight. Nima would be joining them; and not just for tonight, but every other night for the foreseeable future.

When she'd first met Nima, the young Air Acolyte had introduced herself as Ketu's girlfriend. And although she immediately claimed afterwards that she was just trying to prank her childhood friend, Korra knew better now. Nima had been letting Korra know that she was staking her claim. As she replayed this first interaction over in her head, from the moment when Nima had first said that she was Ketu's girlfriend all the way to the end of that first airbending lesson, Korra began to realize that Nima had been sending her messages the entire time: "_I've known Ketu longer, so I have first dibs_."

The Gates that were smacking her around only angered Korra further as she thought of how thoroughly Nima had managed to sabotage any of Korra's future attempts to get closer to Ketu through their Pro-bending outings. What made it worse was the fact that Nima had managed to blackmail the Avatar in full view of the man that they were both after, and yet somehow, _Korra_ seemed like the selfish and irresponsible one. In her distracted state, one of spinning panels managed to hit her in the back and almost knocked her on her face.

That was the last straw. Between the physical abuse of her training and the mental stress she was suffering from, Korra'd had enough. She knew there was no way that she was going to be able to navigate her way out without getting hit from every angle, and she'd already used up all her patience to even attempt to try. Korra beyond angry right now, and she just wanted to get out of the Gates so she could sort out her feelings. She summoned a fireball in her hand and growled in frustration as she prepared to launch a devastating fire blast to clear herself a path out of the annoying contraption.

However, before she even got the chance, her furious "_RRG-ghaa-AAH!"_ turned into a near-panicked "_AAHHH!"_ as the ground beneath her feet shifted, and she was flung into the air, clear of the spinning gates. Luckily for Korra, metal cables wrapped themselves around her torso and began to lower her gently to the ground before she even had the chance to worry about her landing.

Korra looked down as she regained her bearings. As she'd suspected, it was Ketu who had managed to catch her. And judging from the large, circular column of rock jutting out from the middle of the Gates, he was also likely the one who had sent her airborne in the first place.

"Ketu, what do you think you're doing summoning stone pillars in the middle of our training?" Tenzin reprimanded. "You could have seriously damaged a precious airbending teaching tool!"

Ketu unwrapped the cables from around Korra as he set her down. "Oh please, those old planks have been slapping around rookie airbenders for over 2000 years," Ketu said as he waved his father's concerns off. "If running into a rock is really enough to break them, then maybe it's time to look into getting them replaced," he suggested, knowing full well how much his 'suggestion' would irritate the old traditionalist.

"Anyway," Ketu continued, completely ignoring his father's red-faced fuming, "it's about lunchtime, and I'm getting kinda hungry. And technically, I'm always supposed to monitor Korra whenever she eats, so she's coming with me." He then began making his way towards the dining hall, not bothering to look back.

Korra wasn't sure what she should do, but she did know that she was completely fed up with her airbending training for the day. With nothing else to do, she followed along behind Ketu. "So…" she trailed off. Korra knew she wanted to talk with Ketu, after all it was just the two of them now, but she wasn't sure of the best way to go about it or what they should even talk about.

"You know it's my job to protect you, right?" Ketu suddenly asked. "Even if that means protecting you from doing something _incredibly stupid_?" he continued without even giving Korra a chance to answer his question.

Korra stopped in her tracks as she wondered where this declaration came from. "Umm, what do you mean?" Korra asked as she turned away from meeting Ketu's eyes. Did he somehow know that she was about to lose her temper during her training?

"Please, Korra," Ketu said with some disappointment, "I've been doing this long enough and been in enough battles to recognize the heartrate and breathing of someone who's getting ready to attack." He paused for a moment to let his statement sink in before resuming. "I wasn't kidding when I said that the Gates were over 2000 years old. They're incredibly durable; which is the reason why they're one of the few remaining artifacts that managed to survive the Fire Nation's genocide against the Air Nomads. Still, they're not indestructible," Ketu informed her.

"I know that it's frustrating," he continued. "Trust me, I've been nailed in the face by those stupid, old planks more times than I can even remember. Though, that could just be from the concussions that they gave me," Ketu joked; a small, fond smile graced his lips. "Still, they're one of the last surviving remnants of my ancestors' culture. It would be a great tragedy if something were to ever happen to them," he finished as he leveled his gaze towards an ever more guilty-looking Korra.

After having several minutes to cool off, and after hearing Ketu explain the Gates' personal significance to him, Korra was feeling incredibly embarrassed. "I'm so sorry," she abruptly said, bowing low in Ketu's direction.

"It's alright," Ketu said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing actually happened."

Korra looked up and saw that he was actually smiling at her. Ketu was probably proud that she chose to apologize, rather than lie and deny everything.

"Now, I wasn't kidding when I said that I was hungry," Ketu said. "I'm thinking a lychee-nut muffin with some jasmine tea," he mused as he made his way towards the dining hall.

Korra watched as Ketu turned his back on her and walked away. There he went again, proving just how different that the two of them were. When Korra had lost her temper and threatened to destroy a precious piece of his heritage, Ketu didn't lash out at her and demand to know why she was acting so childish. Instead, he'd prevented her from making a terrible mistake while making it seem like _he_ was being the selfish one, all just so Korra could save face. Afterwards, he calmly explained his feelings and immediately forgave Korra without a second thought after she'd apologized.

Korra wondered if Ketu would ever be able see her as anything other than an immature girl trying to cover up her insecurities with false bravado. Would she always just be someone who he needed to protect, even from herself?

* * *

It was just wrong. Ketu couldn't help but notice how down in the dumps Korra had been after the airbending training had ended. She had barely said a word to him after they had lunch. Still, she didn't seem angry just…disheartened. This was the first time he had seen Korra like this. Ketu hoped that he hadn't been too harsh on her after he ejected her from the Gates. He was just trying to let her know that it wasn't worth it to get so worked up over a few pieces of wood.

In the few weeks that Ketu had known her, Korra was almost always spunky and enthusiastic. Even after the relatively bad ending of her very first airbending lesson, Korra was more irritated and annoyed than anything else. Now though, even as she was petting Oogi's snout while the 3 of them were waiting for Nima to arrive, Korra seemed almost downright depressed.

As promised, Ketu had let Nima know that he and Korra were planning on catching the Fire Ferrets' match tonight and that they planned to leave just after sundown. They were waiting in a small clearing about halfway between the Island's main temple and the girls' dormitory. Luckily, it still far enough away from the prying eyes of the White Lotus sentries that they didn't have to worry about getting caught. Sundown was officially 10 minutes ago, and Nima was still nowhere to be seen. Sure they still had plenty of time before the match started, but Ketu didn't want to end up running late like they did last night.

"So…" Ketu said, finally breaking the awkward silence. "Who do you think Hasook is going to end up tackling tonight?" he asked teasingly as he hoped to lift Korra's spirits.

"Hah," Korra breathed a small chuckle. "I don't know. If he gets lucky, he might be able to take out one of the Platypus Bears," she suggested. "I'm sure he's made enough of a fool of himself, by now, that the refs would believe him when he said that it was an honest mistake." Korra's small smile wasn't as bright or energetic as her usual demeanor, but it was still leagues better than her sad expression from just a moment ago.

"So wait, who's Hasook?" a voice asked from behind one of the trees. Both Korra and Ketu recognized it as Nima. "And who are the Platypus Bears?" she asked, turning to Ketu. "Are they the team we're rooting for?"

However, rather than answering her, Ketu wasn't able to do anything except stare. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, maybe something similar to the dark red Air Acolyte robes that he had always seen Nima wear. One thing was certain though, when Nima had shown up in a sleeveless dress that hugged her frame and stopped just short of her knees, Ketu was left utterly speechless. The dress's indigo color only seemed to make her own blue eyes stand out even more, and her hair, which was usually done up in some sort of practical bun for when she was working, now seemed to shine as it cascaded down into a loose ponytail that hung over her left shoulder.

"No, we're on the Fire Ferrets' side," Korra answered, breaking Ketu out of his stupor. She seemed to finally be out of her funk now. Unfortunately, she seemed to be very annoyed now, for some reason.

"Oh yeah," Ketu said as he rubbed above the scar on his lip. "You know Toza, my old Junior-bending coach? Well, turns out he knows a couple guys from the Fire Ferrets, and they agreed to let us watch the matches from their ready room," he explained.

"Wow, really?" Nima asked in astonishment. "That sounds like the best place to watch the match in the entire arena."

"Well, I don't know if it's _the best;_ VIP box seats would be pretty sweet," Ketu reasoned. "Still, it's definitely the most exclusive," he boasted. "After all, anyone with enough money can just pay to get into a VIP booth. But to get a ringside view from the players' own locker room, you gotta have _real connections_."

"Hey 'Mr. Connections,'" Korra called from atop Oogi's saddle. "If you and the princess there don't get your butts up on this bison, I'm leaving you two behind," she threatened.

Nima seemed slightly irritated at Korra's brash statement, but Ketu merely smirked. "Is that so?" he asked. "Well then, 'Miss Princess,' why don't you try convincing this old fluffball take you where you want," Ketu suggested. "Just remember, unless you're absolutely certain he's going to listen, he may just decide to take you along on a trip to the Eastern Air Temple while he goes to visit his girlfriend," Ketu smirked.

Korra pursed her lips, only half-convinced that her bodyguard was just pulling her leg. "Would you two just come on?" she asked in exacerbation. "I don't want to be late."

Ketu and Nima looked at each other one last time before smiling and climbing atop the sky bison.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, sorry for being a little late...again. Not as bad as last time, at least. Also, I didn't actually forget to post; I just didn't have the time. Had to leave for school this morning at 8:00, and I didn't want to post this chapter without going over it at least one more time. Then after school, I had to go straight to work, and I didn't get home until about midnight. After that, I went through the chapter made little revisions here and there. And now, here we are.**

**This chapter wasn't as fun to write as others. Not a lot really happened. Mostly, we just got to see a look inside the heads of our main characters. Still an important aspect of story-telling, I believe. But like I said: not as fun. Hopefully, the action will pick up in the next few chapters and the story can move along a faster pace.**

**Sadly, keeping up with these chapters is getting harder and harder. When I first started posting this story, I was about 2-3 chapters ahead for those first couple months. However, after I changed jobs and started going back to school, maintaining that "safety net" became impossible. ****For the foreseeable future, chapters will be posted on the first of each month. Nobody worry though, I'm fully committed to seeing this story through to the end. If I can get that "safety net" built back up, then you can expect more regular updates.**

**You can expect the next chapter to drop in just over 3 weeks on Sunday (3/1). ****As always, thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know by following/faving or leaving a review. I appreciate every single one of them. Have a Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Birthday to those lucky people who only age at 1/4 the speed of the rest of us. Lol.**

**-Ominous Out**


	14. Chapter 14: The First Match

Chapter 14: The First Match

Losing always sucked. When Bolin was a child, adults used to always say stuff like 'It doesn't matter who wins or loses, it's just about having fun.' But come on, everyone knows that winning is always better, otherwise they wouldn't bother keeping score. The exhilaration Bolin would feel after clinching a victory in the Pro-bending ring was almost indescribable. For almost the whole week after suffering a loss, he and his teammates would almost constantly feel its sting as it drove them to not lose again. However, despite how bad losing was, there was one thing that was even worse: never getting a chance to compete in the first place.

Bolin glanced over to his older brother leaning against the wall. Mako had a deep scowl on his face. Unlike Bolin, who was more downcast than anything, Mako seemed livid with a barely contained rage. Bolin could understand why. Despite his reassurances to the contrary, he knew that his older brother didn't enjoy Pro-bending as much as he did. He knew Mako only did it because he knew that it made his little brother happy, and of course, for the money it provided. If Bolin were to wager a guess, the money was what Mako was truly worried about tonight.

Mako was the responsible one, even when they were kids. He was the one who made sure that they had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, the one who always looked out for his little brother. And when the time came, he was the one who put himself on the line when they were left with no other options but to work for the Triple Threat Triads, always volunteering for the more dangerous jobs so that Bolin wouldn't have to. Unfortunately because Mako was always the problem-solver, that meant when he was presented with a situation that he had almost no control over or any clear way to fix it, he didn't quite know how to handle it, so he usually just got more and more frustrated.

The door to their locker room opened, and Bolin turned from his spot on the bench. Unfortunately, it wasn't the person he was hoping it would be. It was Ketu Beifong, and he was holding the door open for Korra and another girl wearing a light blue dress.

After his and Ketu's little 'headbutting' during Korra's Pro-bending training session the night before, Mako had shown Bolin a news article, declaring that the Avatar and her new bodyguard were an item, so Bolin had resolved himself to not pine after Korra anymore. However, that was before the chief of police's son brought a second girl in here who seemed almost afraid to let go of his arm, even as Ketu failed to keep his face from heating up. Maybe the papers got Korra's relationship status all wrong.

Despite himself, Bolin couldn't help it as his eyes were drawn to the two women that the other earthbender was with. Even in just her regular attire, and without even trying to, Korra looked wonderful. However, this new girl was absolutely stunning. The way her hair was flawlessly done, her angelic features, and the grace with which she carried herself, if he didn't know better, Bolin might have thought that she was a princess.

Wait a second, Ketu wasa police officer, and he was already acting as the Avatar's bodyguard. Was this new girl _actually_ some sort of princess? Oh come on! How many pretty girls did this guy need?

"Hey guys," Ketu said with an easy smile. "This is Nima," he said, introducing the gorgeous girl in the blue dress, finally freeing himself from her grasp. "She's been my best friend since we were practically toddlers, so I hope that it's okay that I brought her along to catch the match." Okay, so she wasn't some sort of princess…probably.

"That's if there even _will be_ a match," Bolin responded, downtrodden.

"What do you mean? We didn't already miss the match, did we?" Korra asked. "You guys look like you've already lost," she took notice of their disheartened state.

"We might as well have," Bolin answered, looking at the floor.

"Hasook's a no-good no-show!" Mako angrily declared as he finally looked up at the other people in the room.

The door to the locker room opened; it was the referee peaking in from the hallway. "You have two minutes to come out ready to play or you're disqualified," he informed the Ferrets before quickly slamming the door shut behind him.

"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament," Mako lamented. "And the winnings," he added bitterly.

"Um, couldn't you just ask one of them to help fill in?" the now-identified Nima asked, motioning to the other team in the locker room who had just finished their own match.

"Nah, the rules say you can only compete on one team," Bolin answered as he stood up to face the new girl. "I'm Bolin, by the way, and that's my brother, Mako," he introduced.

"It's nice to meet you both," Nima said with a dazzling smile that made Bolin's cheeks flush.

"Well, how about this one?" Ketu suggested, pushing a surprised-looking Korra forward. "She's a top-notch waterbender. She'd have to be if she was trained _personally_ by my Gran-gran, after all," he smirked.

"But she's the Avatar," Bolin said in confusion. "Isn't that cheating?"

"It isn't cheating if I only use waterbending," Korra answered as she got over the initial shock of her bodyguard's suggestion.

Korra was now sporting a confident smirk that was eerily similar to Ketu's. It made Bolin wonder what sort of things that the two of them would get up to if they weren't properly supervised. Bolin noticed Nima's somewhat bitter frown. Maybe she wasn't just here to watch a match, maybe she was here to keep an eye on the two troublemakers.

"Are you sure about this?" Mako asked Ketu. "I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there," he directed that last part at Korra.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," Korra said sarcastically while glaring at Mako.

The locker room's door opened up, and once again it was the referee poking his head in. "Times up. You in or out?" he asked.

"They're in," Ketu quickly answered.

"We are?!" Mako asked, bewildered.

"We are," Korra confirmed.

"Yes!" Bolin exclaimed in excitement. He quickly directed Korra to the equipment in the lockers and began to show her how to properly put it on.

"Hey, I didn't agree to this!" Mako declared even as he was still somewhat shocked over the quickly-progressing events.

"You can thank me later," Korra stated confidently as she followed Bolin out to the catwalk leading to the ring.

"This girl is crazy," Mako sighed. The then noticed Ketu's almost manic grin as he watched his plans unfold. "Maybe they _both_ are," he amended.

* * *

The sun had just set on Air Temple Island. It was getting later in the fall, so the temperatures were getting lower and lower each night. Tenzin and his family were wearing their heavier, long-sleeved garbs as a way to stay warm before they would eventually be forced to use their gas heaters later in the season. Ikki and Meelo were fidgeting around in their seats as they waited for the food arrive. Jinora meanwhile was reading from a small red-covered book. He and his children were sitting around the dinner table as his wife brought them their meals. Well…at least most of his children were.

"Okay, everyone here?" Pema asked, looking around as she brought in a tray with bowls of soup and a large plate of salad. "Wait, where're Korra and Ketu?" she asked in mild annoyance.

"Honestly, Pema, I'm at my wits end with the two of them. Korra is stubborn enough on her own, but with Ketu's headstrong nature, he's practically egging her on!" Tenzin groaned as he put an elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand. "I-I've already failed as a mentor once, and more importantly, as a father," he admitted quietly so that only Pema could hear, "I refuse to fail again! I just…I don't know how to _get through_ to that girl," he brought his fist down on the table in frustration.

"Oh honey, you are the farthest thing in the world from a failure. Ketu is a fine young man," Pema reassured her husband, rubbing his shoulder with her free hand. "As for Korra, she may be the Avatar, but she's still a girl. The best thing you can do right now is just give her some space," she sagely advised.

Tenzin smiled warmly at his wife's comforting words. He then turned his determined gaze to his children sitting across the table. "You must promise me that _your_ teenage years won't be like this," he intoned.

Ikki and Meelo merely looked on in confusion as they failed to properly understand what the adults were talking about. Jinora, however, merely looked over the top edge of her text and boredly stated, "I will make no such promises," before turning her attention back to her reading.

Tenzin could feel his right eye twitching in irritation. Whether she realized it or not, Jinora had just parroted the same dismissive one-liner that her older brother had used just moments after arriving on the island. Tenzin feared that Ketu's disrespectful nature was already starting to influence his innocent, younger siblings' behaviors.

Pema sighed as she took her seat at the table, and she mentally prepared herself for whatever drama was about to ensue.

* * *

As Korra and her new teammates made their way across the catwalk to the elevated platform of the Pro-bending ring, Ketu couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself. During their short flight across the bay and even as they made their way into the arena, Korra had still been somewhat dejected.

He was beginning to wonder how exactly he could help improve Korra's mood. Luckily, Hasook was as reliable off the field as he was on it, and that gave Ketu the perfect opportunity to lift Korra's spirits. If there was one thing Ketu knew about Pro-bending, it was this: no matter how fun it was to watch a match, the only thing better was getting to compete yourself.

In fact, Ketu couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy as Shiro Shinobi began his commentating, "_Looks like the Fire Ferrets have ferreted out a last minute replacement waterbender_," he announced. "_Let's see if she's another diamond in the rough like the brothers from the school of hard knocks_."

As the Fire Ferrets settled into their respective combat stances, Korra and Mako seemed to be talking to one another. Unfortunately, from his position in the locker rooms, Ketu couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Although based on their rigid postures, as well as their previous interactions, if Ketu were to wager a guess, then he'd mostly say that they were probably exchanging snarky barbs with one another.

"Players! Are you ready?" the referee called out.

The Platypus Bears certainly lived up their namesake. All three of them were taller and bulkier than even Bolin. Their captain, the team's firebender, gave a quick nod, never taking his eyes off the Fire Ferrets.

Mako turned to look at the referee before turning his gaze back to his opponents, letting him know that the Fire Ferrets were ready to go. The referee blew sharply into his whistle and the bell rung, signaling the start of the match.

Without any hesitation, Korra delivered a strong, horizonal kick. The powerful water stream that followed hit the Platypus Bear right in front of her, knocking him over railings and off the side of ring. "Woo-hoo!" Korra cheered victoriously. "Man overboard!" she gloated while running around in excitement.

Ketu covered his face in embarrassment. It seems that in all the time that the two of them had talked Pro-bending, he'd neglected to explain one of the most basic rules to Korra. In Ketu's defense, he didn't think that it was actually necessary. After all their was railing going all the way around the ring _except_ for the back parts. Well, either way, Korra was about to learn that rule right now.

The referee blew his whistle, halting the match. "Fire Ferret waterbender, penalty," he said. "Move back one zone."

Korra seemed ready to argue with the ref until Mako stepped up and explained the rules to her. She then hunched her shoulders in embarrassment at her faux pas before moving back to Zone 2 as instructed.

"_And we're back in action after that hiccup_," Shiro commented.

And the action had indeed started to pick up as both teams began trading elemental blows with one another. To Korra's credit, she did manage to get a few shots off, but she was about as mobile as a turtle-duck in the desert. She took an earth disc to the stomach which pushed her back a few feet. Korra answered that strike by charging forward with a spinning kick. Unfortunately, when she landed, her right foot crossed over the line in front of her.

The referee blew his whistle, stopping the match once again for a penalty against Korra. "Foul, over the line," the short, old man explained. "Move back to Zone 3."

From his position in the locker room, Ketu couldn't hear what the players were saying unless they were yelling. Still, he could tell that Korra was grumbling angrily as she punched the air in frustration after receiving her second penalty in the very first round. Ketu was starting to get worried. He'd originally volunteered Korra because he thought that it would be an enjoyable experience for her after her stressful day. But if competing was just going to compound on her already foul mood, maybe she should just withdraw.

The round ended only a couple of seconds later with the Platypus Bears taking the lead. The confidence of the Fire Ferrets seemed to take a hit as Bolin and Mako realized just how much of a rookie that their impromptu teammate really was.

"_And the Platypus Bears take round 1_," Shiro declared.

As the players from both teams moved back to their respective Zones 1, the bell rang, starting the second round. Both teams exploded out of the gate with furious assaults. Unfortunately, it seemed as though most of the Platypus Bears' attacks were aimed at Korra.

"_The Platypus Bears know a green player when they see one_," Shiro observed, "_and they're focusing the brunt of their bending on this poor girl_."

Korra was moving around better this round, having learned her lesson in the first one. However, with the Platypus Bears' collective attention almost solely on her, she was still relying heavily on summoning water to protect herself. Korra had been forced into the back corner of Zone 1 as all three of the Platypus Bears lined up their shots to attack Korra simultaneously.

At that point, she was reacting solely on instinct. Completely forgetting that she was supposed to be on the downlow and masquerading as a regular waterbender, Korra summoned two earth discs to shield herself from the Platypus Bears' 3-on-1 beatings. A surprised gasp ran through the crowd as Korra quickly dropped the shattered remains of her discs.

"Foul!" the referee quickly called. "Err, I think?" he finished on an uncertain note.

Korra merely gave a nervous chuckle and shrugged as speculative murmurings circulated within the gathering of spectators.

* * *

Tenzin was beginning to get worried. He had yet to find either Korra or Ketu. He hadn't seen either one of them since before lunch. And although he was relieved that he had not found them spending more time unsupervised in their bedrooms again, he still had no idea where they could have been. He'd even gone to see the Head Librarian on the off chance that Ketu had decided to visit Nima late in the evening. As it turned out, Nima was unaccounted for as well.

In a last ditch effort, Tenzin decided to check in with the White Lotus sentries at their outpost, since they were the ones who were supposed to be monitoring the island. Much to his annoyance, it seemed as though most of them were slacking off as almost half a dozen white-clad guards were sitting around a table, focused intently on the radio sitting in the middle of it.

Because it was turned up so loud, Tenzin could clearly make out the radio announcer's voice, despite his own disinterest in the program. "_Did I see that right_?" the announcer asked dramatically. "_Hold on folks, we're just waiting for the referee's official call, but I think this replacement player could be—_"

"Pardon me everyone—" Tenzin said, trying to draw the sentries' interest away from the entertainment device that seemed to have an almost hypnotical influence upon the younger generations.

"_There's no way!_" the voice on the radio unknowingly interrupted.

"—but have any of you seen Korra or my son?" Tenzin continued, still unable to get the guards' undivided attention as one of them even had the audacity to begin taking a long sip out of her teacup. "Neither one of them are in their rooms," the older man stated, hoping _that _at least would get their notice.

"_You've gotta be kidding me, she's the __**Avatar**__, folks_!" the radio announcer exclaimed, "_playing in a Pro-bending match_."

That particular statement certainly got the sentries' notice as the guard who had been ignoring Tenzin to focus on her tea ended up spitting her beverage into the face of one of her colleagues in shock. They all stared at the radio for several seconds, unable to process the information that had just been revealed to them.

Finally, the master of Air Temple Island was the first to break out of his stupor. "I'll get them myself," he said in frustration before turning on his heel with a swirl of his long, dark orange cloak.

Tenzin could feel the confused stares of the White Lotus sentries following him as he declared that he would get '_them_' himself. After all, the Pro-bending announcer only said that Korra was competing in the match, surely it would have been worth noting if the Avatar's police-appointed bodyguard was in the arena as well. Ketu was probably just as unaware of Korra's status as they had been, right?

Most would think it ridiculous that a bodyguard would allow the person they were supposed to be protecting to deliberately expose themselves, but they didn't know Ketu Beifong as well as the boy's father did. This was just the sort of arrogantly reckless stunt that Ketu would try to pull while still being able to fly under everyone else's notice.

He was so certain of himself and in his abilities that he thought that normal rules didn't apply to him; he believed that he would always able to play by different ones and no one could ever do anything about it. Whether that meant joining the military, despite just barely being teenager, or if that meant attending and eventually graduating from the Royal Fire Navy Academy near the top of the class, despite not being a firebender or even having any Fire Nation heritage, whatsoever. Ketu Beifong was able to seemingly face those trials head-on, and at the last moment, circumnavigate the rules in a way that left his naysayers scratching their heads as they wondered just how they had been outwitted.

However unlike before, when he only needed to look out for himself and his own well-being; now, Ketu was in charge of protecting, arguably, the most important person in the entire world. His normal antics couldn't continue on like this, and his father was willing and ready to drive that fact into his stubborn, little skull, if need be.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I got several messages from people who were wondering if I was abandoning the story. Don't worry, I'm not, and I don't have any plans to.**

** Classes, work, and midterms have just basically consumed my entire existence, so any free time that I have, when I'm not studying or doing homework, is dedicated to sleeping. Looks like my class workload _should_ (emphasis on "should") be lightening up in the next month or so. Hopefully, I can get back to writing more. As stated before, I'm gonna be aiming for a release at the beginning of each month form now on. Good news for the future: I'm not taking classes in the summer, and I'm not scheduled for internships until next summer. You can expect more regular updates when that time comes around.**

**As always, thanks for reading, and please, follow/fave and leave a review. Or if you want, feel free to PM me with any questions or comments, I'll usually respond to most of them. Have a good month and hopefully I'll see you all on Wednesday, 4/1 with a new chapter.**

**-Ominous Out**


	15. Chapter 15: The Significance of Sport

Chapter 15: The Significance of Sport

A person's bending is closely linked to their emotional state. Most children discovered they were benders during incredibly emotional moments. For the airbending kids, it was during moments of sheer happiness. Jinora was barely 2 when it was discovered that she was an airbender when her mother was tickling her toes. When Ikki was almost 5, Tenzin was investigating strange noises coming from the forest clearing on Air Temple Island where the air bison usually grazed. He arrived only to discover that the strange noises were merely the frustrated mewling of bison parents as Tenzin's youngest daughter was in the middle of their clearing, jumping more than 10 feet into air in an attempt to play with the flying baby bison.

Meelo was about 3 ½ years-old when Ketu and Bumi had come to Air Temple Island for a short visit. Ketu had been playing with his younger brother, grabbing the young boy's wrists and swinging his tiny, little fists into his big brother's face. Ketu would then pretend to be seriously wounded, much to the toddler's amusement. However, Ketu got more than he bargained for when he allowed the little boy to take a swing by himself. The resulting air blast took Ketu totally by surprise and sent him sprawling as he landed on his butt.

Even Ketu himself had discovered his own bending while emotions were running high. Ketu was 8 when he and his father were out at The Gates, and Ketu had once again, for more than the dozenth time that day, failed to successfully navigate his way through; even getting a bloody nose in the process. In frustration, Ketu picked up a rock and threw it at the offending board. It wasn't until the pole that the panel had been sitting on snapped like a twig that Ketu realized that the 200-pound boulder that had just crashed into it was far too large for any 8 year-old to be able to throw naturally.

Tenzin's surprised expression had matched Ketu's own. Though, Tenzin's had also been laced with something else; something Ketu would later identify as disappointment.

Because Ketu understood that a person's bending often reacted to their emotions and desires, he wasn't too disappointed in Korra when she ended up blowing her cover and, by extension, his own. While he didn't particularly care if his father found out that he, Korra, and Nima had been sneaking out, Ketu was not looking forward to explaining himself to his mother, the chief of police and his boss.

"_You've gotta be kidding me, she's the Avatar, folks, playing in a Pro-bending match_," Shiro Shinobi said over the loudspeakers, likely broadcasting his astonishment over the airwaves as well. Korra gave a nervous giggle and an awkward shrug before her helmet drooped and covered her eyes. "_Can you believe it?!" _Shiro asked in shock.

Ketu groaned.

"Oh, it's not that bad," Nima reassured him. "It's not like your dad will be listening in anyway."

Ketu sighed. "It's not him I'm worried about. Knowing my luck, this will be the one day this month that Mom managed to finish her paperwork early, and she's probably listening in on the match right now."

"Well, why does that matter?"

"I _may have…_forgotten to tell her that I've been letting Korra come to the city," he admitted.

"Oouuu-ooo," Nima intoned in sympathy. The Beifong matriarch was a pretty lenient parent and would pretty much let Ketu do as he pleased when he was growing up, to a point, at least. The only stipulation that she had was that he had to let her know exactly what he planned to do beforehand, and spirits help him if he didn't.

"Yeah, this isn't going to be a fun week." Ketu rubbed his temples as the referee came back out to the ring to make his ruling.

The referee raised his hand to get everyone's attention. "The Avatar will be permitted to continue, so long as she solely bends water," he announced.

The reactions in the arena were a mixed bag. The Platypus Bears and their more die-hard fans groaned in disappointment at not getting an easy victory, while the Fire Ferret fans cheered in joy. The rest of the spectators seemed pleased with the ruling as well, though that was most likely because they were excited to see the Avatar participate in a Pro-bending match more than any sort of team loyalty.

Both teams stepped back up to the line, and the bell rang. Ketu took note that rather than resetting the clock for the second round, they kept it at the time where the ref had first stopped it. That meant that both teams were going to be a lot more aggressive in an attempt to avoid a tie.

Mako and Bolin chose to attack the Platypus Bears of their own element, hoping that their own individual skills would be enough to push their opponents back. Meanwhile, the Platypus Bears seemed to have come to the unilateral decision to focus their collective might on Korra.

"_This girl may be the Avatar, but she's no Pro-bender," _Shiro observed, "_and the Platypus Bears are intent on exploiting that weakness._"

Korra was still struggling as she tried to block the Platypus Bears' assault with the meager amount of water that the ring provided, rather than trying to avoid the attacks altogether.

Ketu turned to leave the locker room, causing Nima some confusion. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"This round is gonna be tough on Korra," Ketu stated from the open doorway. "It'd probably be good for her to have a friend help pull her up."

Nima frowned in disappointment as she was left alone. "Okay fine," she relented, "but I have something I need to ask you when you get back."

"Alright, will do." Ketu smiled.

"_They're giving her their best, and her best ain't good enough to stop it_," Shiro commented, pulling Nima's attention back to the Pro-bending match.

Korra tried to block a fire blast with just her arm guards, and it ended up pushing her back. The earth disc that followed it broke her guard, opening her up for the water strike that knocked her clean off her feet. The buzzer sounded twice as she shot back into Zones 2, 3, and eventually right over edge, just as Ketu had predicted.

"_Aaannd, she's in the drink."_

* * *

Tenzin stormed his way through the Pro-bending stadium. He was livid—no, he was _furious_. Not only was he angry about the blatant disrespect that Korra and his own son had shown him by even coming to this place, but he had also delayed because Oogi had refused to wake up this evening. He'd been forced to take the ferry, prolonging the trip even further, so his foul mood was only getting worse the longer he had to stay in this…establishment.

Everything about this place put him on edge. Whether it was the loud and raucous noise of the spectators or the smell of stale popcorn that filled the air, it all went against the calm, structured environment that Tenzin had lived his whole life in. As Tenzin made his way down the hallway to the main arena he could feel the stickiness of spilled confession drinks cling to the bottom of his shoes. He arrived just in time to see someone wearing red armor get knocked off the back edge of the ring. Judging from her figure and the fact that his son was waiting near the water's edge to help her out, Tenzin quickly surmised that that was Korra.

Wasting no more time, Tenzin leapt over the railing that was meant to keep spectators from falling into the water below. There were more than a few gasps of surprise as the people around him saw him use his airbending to slow his descent and direct himself to where Ketu and Korra were. As he was landing he could hear the two teenagers talking to one another.

"Huh, thanks for the hand," Korra sighed, dejected.

"Eh, don't worry too much about it, Korra," Ketu reassured her. "The first swim out is always the hardest." He finished pulling her out and helped her stand up straight.

Korra gave Ketu a thankful smile before noticing the approach of her airbending master.

"And it's also going to be your last," Tenzin declared as he finally set down on the metal platform.

Upon hearing the sound of his voice, Korra tensed up as she turned to meet his gaze. "Oh, hey Tenzin," she greeted nervously. "I thought you didn't like coming to these matches…ha-ha."

Ketu, however, reacted differently. As he turned to face his father, his shoulders seemed to sag as though he were suddenly exhausted. "I've gotta say, I'm pretty jealous," he said almost conversationally. "You never bothered to come to see any of _my_ matches as a kid."

"Once again the two of you have flagrantly disobeyed my orders," Tenzin said in disappointment, ignoring his son's snarky comments. "_You _were to stay on the island. Let's go," he commanded.

"No," Korra refused, "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"I have tried my very best to get through to you by being gentle and patient, but clearly the only thing you respond to is force!" Tenzin finished angrily. "So I am ordering you to come back to the temple, _right now_!"

"Why?!" she asked, matching his angry tone. "So I can sit around and meditate at how bad I am at airbending?"

"I don't have time to discuss this here. And you," Tenzin directed his ire at his disrespectful son, pointing his finger at him, "_you_ are supposed to be protecting Korra, not exposing her to more potential danger. Who knows who could be watching and waiting to attack her, right now? The Triads, Equalists—"

"I'M THE AVATAR!" Korra interrupted, clenching her fists. "I can't do my job, if everyone is constantly trying to fight my battles for me!"

"Being the Avatar isn't all about _fighting_, Korra. When will you learn that?" he asked.

"I have a match to finish," she huffed, making her way to the elevator that would raise her back up to the ring.

"_The Platypus Bears win Round 2_!" the ring announcer declared.

* * *

Tenzin turned down the hallway leading back to the stands. Perhaps Korra's parents could talk some sense into their hardheaded daughter. He planned on simply leaving and going back to Air Temple Island to contact them, but he was surprised to see Ketu walking beside him as he made his way along the stands, towards the main exit. Tenzin sent his son a sidelong glance, subtly enquiring as to the reason for his continued presence.

In response, Ketu calmly grabbed his father's shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "You're going to want to see this," he declared as he turned his gaze towards the Pro-bending ring. Tenzin's face told Ketu that he was skeptical of that assertion. Nevertheless, he joined his son in watching the third round just as the bell rang. After all, it couldn't hurt to make sure that he and Korra actually came right back after the match was over.

"_The Platypus Bears come out of the gate and quickly go after the Ferret brothers_," Shiro said.

The Platypus Bears' earth- and waterbender turned to attack Mako and Bolin, leaving their firebender to deal with Korra. Mako and Bolin must have been expecting the Platypus Bears to focus solely on Korra, just as they had done in the previous round, because the two of them seemed totally unprepared as they were both pushed into the ring's ropes, unable to counterattack.

"_They're corralled in the corner, wedged in the edge of zone one, unable to come to the Avatar's rescue_," the commentator continued, "_and boy, does she need it_?" With the 'bending brothers' subdued for the time being, the Platypus Bear earthbender turned his attention to Korra as he and his firebending teammate began to push her back. Within moments Korra was pushed to the very edge of Zone 3, her arms pinwheeling as she tried to keep from tumbling over the edge for the second time in as many rounds.

"_Looks like the Avatar's Pro-bending debut is going to be cut short._" Even as someone who had never seen a Pro-bending match, Tenzin could tell that Korra was giving a very embarrassing display. He groaned, closed his eyes, and covered his face with his left hand as he waited to hear the inevitable splash, signaling Korra's loss.

"_She's been pushed back to zone three, and the water is calling her name_." While Tenzin, Shiro, and even the vast majority of the audience seemed to have already accepted the fact that Korra was about to lose, Ketu hadn't given up on her, watching intently and waiting for that crucial moment when everything would click into place.

Korra had finally stopped flailing her arms and both of her feet had settled back onto the surface of the ring, but her back was turned to the other Pro-benders. Unknown to her, there was a fireball screaming towards her, aimed to hit her right between her shoulders. However, at the last moment, Korra seemed to have sensed the attack coming and spun out of the way, and she didn't stop there. She continued her circular movement as an earth disc missed its mark by mere inches. As Korra turned to face her opponents, her expression was no longer panicked and hyper-alert; she was calm and completely at ease.

"_It's only a matter of time before_—" Shiro stopped, flabbergasted by what he was seeing. "_Hold the phone, stop the presses_. _She's still in the game folks_!"

"There it is," Ketu whispered, just barely loud enough for his father to hear him.

The Platypus Bears continued to try to knock Korra out, but no matter how hard they tried or how small of an area Korra was allowed to move in, she deftly dodge all of their attacks. Even their waterbender had diverted his attention away from Mako and Bolin to try to overwhelm the rookie Pro-bender. Korra continued her circular formations with her arms out in front of her with her finger splayed, just as she had seen Jinora and Ketu do.

"_She's moving like an entirely different player,"_ Shiro said in amazement._ "All of a sudden, the Platypus Bears' strikes are only striking air."_

"How about that…" Tenzin was stunned by what he was seeing.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Ketu asked, grabbing his father's attention.

Tenzin was about to nod along in agreement, but what his son said next shocked him. "Without even meaning to, an entire generation has adopted a style of bending that our ancestors pioneered millennia ago," Ketu said, still watching as Korra continued to wear down the Platypus Bears.

After several minutes of continuous attacking, the Platypus Bears' strikes were noticeably weaker. As their waterbender's strikes failed to reach the two Ferrets in Zone 1, this gave Mako and Bolin the opportunity to counterattack. "_The Platypus Bears have no juice left,_" Shiro observed, "_but Mako and Bolin are still fresh and juicy."_

"It's comforting, in a way," Ketu continued wryly. "Even if the worst were to happen and another genocide wiped out the airbenders and the Air Acolytes, destroyed the temples, and wiped all mention of the Air Nomads from history; even then, some small part of our culture would still survive."

Even with the Fire Ferrets continuing their dramatic comeback with Mako and Bolin knock the Platypus Bears' water- and firebender over the back edge of the ring, Tenzin was overwhelmed as he turned to his son. This was the first time Ketu had truly opened up to his father in a very long time.

"If 10,000 benders take on the style of passive defense, then how many of them are likely to adopt that as a life philosophy?" Ketu asked rhetorically. Even though he was talking to his father, he was still watching the match attentively. "If even one of those people chooses to live a peaceful life of nonaggression because of that, then that's something worth celebrating," he finished just as Korra delivered the final blow to the Platypus Bears' firebender, knocking him over the edge, and securing the Fire Ferrets a victory by knockout.

"_The Fire Ferrets come from way behind and steal the win! What an upset folks!_" Shiro exclaimed.

As Ketu left to head back to the locker room and congratulate the winners, Tenzin was stunned. He had always believed Ketu competed in the Junior-bending circuit as a way to distance himself from his Air Nomad roots. But was it actually the opposite? Was this why his son had been so obsessed with this sport as a child?

"_The rookies, Avatar in-tow, have nabbed a place in the Championship Tournament. I cannot believe it!_"

* * *

Ketu was emotionally exhausted. He never really was one who cared for opening up about his feeling and such. He blamed the Beifong in him. Being forced to open up to his father of all people just made it worse. No matter how silly or 'out there' it sounded, Ketu truly believed everything he had just told his father.

As a boy, he'd long-ago accepted that Pro-bending was a 'Mom-thing' that his father was likely to never join in on. Still, there was always some small part of him that had hoped his father would surprise him by showing up to one of his matches and come to see the sport in the same way he had. Seeing that look of recognition on his father's face as he was watching Korra, instead, hurt.

Ketu wasn't really jealous of Korra in particular; he was just disappointed that it wasn't him that his father was watching as he came to that realization. More than anything, he was frustrated that it had taken his father this long to try to understand him. As Ketu was coming up on the Fire Ferrets' locker room, he pushed down those bitter feelings and put on a smile. Korra had just won her very first Pro-bending match, and he was happy for her.

The atmosphere in the room was jubilant with Bolin happily cheering, Korra was grinning like a madwoman, and even Mako couldn't keep the cheerful grin off of his face. Nima turned and smiled as she saw Ketu return to the room. Ketu felt kind of bad, now; Mako and Bolin were practically strangers to her, so it was probably kind of difficult for her without him there. Nevertheless, she seemed to be perfectly comfortable greeting that night's victors.

"Congratulations, you guys," she said. "Especially you, Avatar Korra, that was a most impressive display for your very first match."

"Thanks," Korra replied, still smiling, "and please, it's just Korra."

Ketu smiled. It seems as though the two of them had gotten over whatever it was that was making them so snippy with one another. Mako then took the opportunity to address Korra himself.

"Korra, what can I say?" he began awkwardly. "You really came alive in that last round. The way you dodged their attacks, you are a natural."

"Definitely," Ketu agreed. "You moved just like an airbender," he added.

"Thanks," Korra had a slight blush on her cheeks from all the praise. "But seriously, thank you," she said, looking Ketu directly in the eye. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Huh? Oh yeah, no problem. Always happy to help, that's me. He-heh," Ketu answered, scratching at the scar on his upper lip. He was looking away from Korra and towards the arena they had just exited. "Oh, by the way, Nima," Ketu said, just remembering something. "You said you wanted to ask me something after I got back, right?" he asked, focusing on her.

"Oh right," Nima said with a jolt. "Well, the thing is…um, you know how my birthday is next week?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah…" Ketu replied, slightly confused. Nima's face was beet red and her hands were balled-up into fists as she was gripping her dress tightly. Even Korra had turned to give her a curious look.

"Well…what I want for my birthday is…" Nima tried to begin before she seemed to lose her nerve.

Ketu couldn't help but realize how pretty was right now, even with how uncomfortable she seemed. It was strange, she'd been his best friend for as long as he could remember, and yet, for the first time, he didn't just see her as 'his best friend;' she was a beautiful woman. Maybe even more beautiful than Korra. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

Nima swallowed the lump in her throat and took a breath before working up the courage to state her demand. "Ketu, what I want for my birthday is for you to take me out on a date!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. We finally reached the end of episode 2. Again, this story is taking a lot longer than I originally thought, but still totally motivated to finish it. Things are getting a little dramatic, and we discover a bit more about Ketu and what motivates him.**

**I had a couple people ask me if chapters would be coming out sooner now thanks to all these quarantine measures that schools and businesses are taking. Unfortunately (for you guys anyway), I work in one of the industries that are still running (at least for the time being) and my classes just got switched to online, so I'm still both working and going to school full-time.**

**You can expect the next chapter to drop next month on Friday 5/1. That gives me a full month to work, instead of 3 weeks. As I said earlier, if I can get a "safety net" built back up, then you can expect more regular updates. Once again, thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed, please, follow/fave or leave a review. If you have any questions or comments feel free to PM me, and I'll try to answer to the best of ability.**

**-Ominous Out**


	16. Chapter 16: Good Ideas, Bad Ideas

Chapter 16: Good Ideas, Bad Ideas

Emotions sucked. Ever since Ketu had agreed to go on that date with Nima, Korra'd been down in the dumps. Even the noticeable improvement in her airbending training hadn't been enough to lift her spirits. The only thing that she could take solace in was the fact that, even if they were going to go out on a date this week, they actually weren't "_dating" _dating. Well, at least Korra didn't _think_ they were a dating yet; they weren't constantly holding hands or making out in the middle of dining hall. Still, the whole 'will-they, won't-they' of the situation as everyone waited to see what would happen was almost as nerve-wracking for Korra than if they _were _actually a couple.

Korra's focus was brought back to the present as she caught the heavy medicine ball that Mako had thrown at her. At least she had Pro-bending to distract her from her relationship problems, or rather, her lack thereof. She just wished that her team's practice was at a better time. She, Mako, and Bolin were wearing their dark grey practice gear. Functionally, it was the same as the vibrant red armor that she had worn during her first match, however, these sets was noticeably more well-worn and not as well maintained. They also smelled kinda funky.

"Ugh, What's the big idea with making me train this early in the morning?" Korra groaned. "The morning is evil," she whispered dramatically before tossing the ball to Bolin.

"We're the rookies," Bolin explained, catching Korra's throw, "so we get the worst time slot in the gym."

"Ha, you think _this_ is bad?" a bark of laughter came from behind the three practicing Fire Ferrets. "You should try getting up at oh-four-hundred while your crazy uncle shouts weird inspirational quotes at you during drill," Ketu remarked. He was once again wearing his black police armor as he leaned against the wall while the Fire Ferrets practiced. However, even as he was talking, his eyes were closed. Korra had learned over the last couple of weeks that this was a sure sign that Ketu was using his Seismic Sense to monitor the area for any signs of potential danger.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Ketu took his job as Korra's bodyguard very seriously. Without even thinking about it, he'd gotten up at the break of dawn and followed Korra to the Pro-bending arena despite the fact that the two of them had only gotten bed just a few hours before thanks to Tenzin's reinvigorated interest in her airbending training. Luckily for Korra, Nima had her owns duties that she needed to attend to on the island, so she couldn't come with them this morning. This would give Korra plenty of one-on-one time with Ketu for at least the next week or so.

"Seriously, how was yelling '_Life is like a sewer: What you get out of it depends on what you put into it_!' supposed to help me make it through that 10-kilometer run?" Ketu asked them, regaining Korra's attention. Meanwhile, Pabu, the team's fire ferret mascot and Bolin's pet, was perched on the police officer's shoulder, taking a nap. Bolin seemed to look at this as some sort of betrayal on the ferret's part, but Korra couldn't help but think that Ketu and Pabu looked adorable together like that.

The Fire Ferrets merely gave Ketu an odd look in response to his…unique story. Before they could continue with their practice, the door to the gym opened and a mustached man wearing an expensive-looking, black suit and bowler hat walked in. "There are my hard-working street urchins," he greeted with smug satisfaction. As he made his way over to the Mako and Bolin, he took note of their new teammate. "It's an honor to finally meet ya', Avatar," he said in a voice that just oozed sketchiness as he place a hand on Korra's shoulder.

"And you are…" she inquired skeptically, shrugging off the man's hand.

"Butakha!" he declared, taking his hat off with a wide sweeping motion and bowing his head. "I run this whole Pro-bending shebang." He quickly placed his hat back on his head, likely to cover up his baldness.

Korra rolled her eyes, completely unimpressed with the man's display. She then walked away, looking for some sort of workout equipment to use while Mako and Bolin talked with the man. Butakha reached into his coat and pulled out a rather large stack of yuans. "Here's your winnings from the last match," he said, slapping the stack of bills into Mako's hand.

Mako grinned and moved to put the money in his back pocket. "Ah-uh-ah! Not so fast," Butakha quickly interrupted, wagging his finger. "First, you owe me for the Avatar's new gear," he said as he swiped several bills from on top the pile in Mako's hand.

Mako's smile faltered, but he moved to pocket what remained of his money. "Ah!" Butakha stopped him once again. "Gym and equipment rentals for last month," he quickly added, taking another handful of bills from the stack.

Mako was frowning now as he was beginning to pick up on Butakha's game. "Ah-uh!" the slimy arena owner continued as he grabbed even more of the brothers' winnings. "Rent on your—"

"Hey," Ketu spoke up, letting his presence be known. "You're not seriously trying to grift these guys in full view of a police officer _and _the Avatar, are you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he moved to stand beside Mako. Pabu was jostled awake by Ketu's movement, and he scurried off and into Bolin's arms.

"Wha-What? No!" Butakha answered nervously as he eyed Ketu's golden police badge. "Of course not. I'm just tryin' to settle a debt that these two owe me. It's all official."

"Oh, well that's good to hear," Ketu said with an easy smile. "That means that you have the bill statement with you, right?"

Butakha swallowed the lump in his throat. "W-well, sure…" he stuttered out. "Just uh…not _with me_."

"Oh!" Ketu said in false surprise. "Then I guess Mako can just hold on to _this_ until you can bring it to him," Ketu snatched the handful of yuans that Butakha had taken right out of his hand, giving them back to Mako. "He can pay you what they owe as soon as you have the proper paperwork."

Ketu had his arms crossed over his chest and cocked his head to the side, daring the older man to challenge him on this. Butakha flared his nostrils in frustration before turning away and heading towards the door. "Thanks," Mako said to Ketu, quiet enough that Butakha wouldn't be able to hear them. "It's kinda hard to stand up to that guy since he owns the gym, the arena, he's our landlord, and he's basically our boss on top of everything else."

"No problem," Ketu assured him.

"Oh! And one more thing," Butakha said from the doorway. "The Fire Ferrets need to ante up thirty thousand yuans for the Championship pot."

"Thirty thousand yuans!?" Bolin exclaimed.

"Sorry, kids," Butakha said haughtily. "You've got 'til the end of the week to come up with the dough or else you're out of the tournament," he slammed the door shut on the way out.

By then Korra had rejoined the boys, hoping to continue their practice. "You wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account, over-flowing with gold, would you?" Bolin asked Korra.

"I got nothing," Korra said as she turned her pocket out, showing they were empty. "I've never really needed money," she answered proudly. "I've always had people taking care of me."

"Then I wouldn't say you have nothing," Mako commented bitterly as he put his money and the medicine ball in his bag.

Korra had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, it's alright," Bolin quickly insisted. "It's just... ever since we lost our parents, we've been on our own," he said sadly.

"I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically. "I didn't know…"

Mako zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "So anyway, how are we going to come up with the money?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I hate to ask," Korra began uncomfortably, "but aren't the Beifongs, like…super loaded?" she asked Ketu.

Ketu himself didn't seem to be offended by her enquiry, just somewhat embarrassed. "Well, technically, yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "My aunt is actually the one who controls the Beifong fortune," he explained. "I've just got a bank account that gets refilled with five thousand yuans at the end of each month."

"Is there anything else you could do? What about your mom?" Bolin asked desperately.

"The money's not really the issue. If I asked, I doubt they'd actually say 'no' to me," Ketu answered. "There's just no way to send a message all the way to Zaofu and have them transfer the money back by the end of the week," he said. "They're technically still a part of the Earth Kingdom, so there's all sorts of international red tape and stuff for large money orders like that.

"As for my mom…" Ketu trailed off. "She's just—well, it's not really an option right now, sorry."

Korra flinched in sympathy. After the chief of police found out that the Avatar's bodyguard was allowing her to roam the city as she pleased, things got a little heated. Even as she was eating in the dining hall, Korra could still hear the tongue-lashing that Ketu had received from his mother, despite the fact that he was halfway across the island and using a radio at the White Lotus guard outpost.

"No, it's okay," Mako assured Ketu. "We understand."

Ketu smiled at his new friend's words. "If you guys can come up with the other twenty-five thousand, you can have the last five from my bank account," he offered.

"Thanks," Mako said gratefully. "So any other ideas?"

The four of them were quiet for a moment as they all tried to come up with an alternative when Bolin suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. "Ooh-ooh! I got it!" he said excitedly. "I've been training Pabu to do circus tricks," he explained, taking the fire ferret off of his shoulders and holding him up for everyone to see. "Now people would pay _good_ money to see that," Bolin declared confidently.

Korra seemed confused by her teammate's proposal. While Ketu and Mako were thoroughly unimpressed. "Come on, Bolin," Mako said slightly annoyed. "We need _serious_ ideas."

Bolin hugged Pabu to his chest as he lowered his gaze. "I was serious," he stated meekly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out," Mako ignored his younger brother. "I always do."

"Oh, before you go, Mako, I wanted to talk to you about that side-screamer you shot in the last match," Ketu said, catching up with the firebender.

"Oh! You saw that?" Mako asked, perking back up. He and Ketu were getting quieter the farther away they moved, so Korra quickly followed along behind them.

"Yeah, totally. I was wondering if you could…"

The group had moved so far away that Bolin couldn't hear them clearly anymore. Mako couldn't see it, but Bolin had a determined look in his eye. He knew Mako was a lot smarter than him, he worked harder, and the ladies thought he was cooler in that bad-boy sort of way. But Bolin could be all those things! He knew that his Fire Ferret Circus idea was good, and he was going to prove it.

* * *

Originally, the capital city of the United Republic of Nations was just a small fishing village named Cranefish Town. After the end of the Hundred Year War the area experienced massive expansion and modernization before being renamed Republic City. The city was meant to serve as a center for international cooperation. As a result, there were many monuments and memorials built throughout the city dedicated to heroes and figures from each of the four original nations, many of whom were key figures during the Hundred Year War.

One such example was the large stone statue of a young Fire Lord Zuko. The statue was over 30 feet tall and made of dark igneous rock imported from the Fire Nation Capital itself. It's most prominent feature was the ever-burning flame held in its open right hand. The statue was located outside of Republic City's Central Train Station where hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of people walked past it each day. It was because of this high volume of foot traffic that Bolin decided it would make for the perfect backdrop for his and Pabu's street performance.

"Come one, come all!" Bolin declared animatedly. He was sitting cross-legged on a small blue rug and wearing a vibrant red vest and belt over his normal dark green attire. He was also wearing a very large, and clearly fake, mustache. After all, all of the greatest ringleaders in history had snazzy facial hair, right?

"Come see Pabu, the Fantastic Fire Ferret, as he crosses the ladder of peril!" he paused and gasped dramatically. "Upside down…"

In front of Bolin was a small toy ladder suspended between two disposable paper cups he found in the garbage. To stage right, Pabu was dressed up in his own green vest and wearing a hat that Bolin had strapped to his head. The fire ferret was standing on an upturned metal can as he groomed himself, seemingly uninterested in playing a part in his owner's show.

"Psst-psst," Bolin tried to get his ferret's attention. Deciding to go along with it, Pabu jumped from his can and did a handstand as he went across the ladder on his front paws. "Big finish, buddy. Stick the landing…" Bolin whispered in anticipation. As Pabu reached the end of the ladder, he did a front flip before landing on the sidewalk on only one of his front paws.

"Ta-da!" Bolin sang with a flourish of his arms.

Without even looking down or slowing his pace, a man in a red suit dropped a single coin into the metal can that Pabu had been standing on. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen!" Bolin bowed as though he were a showman. "You are too kind. Seriously, too kind…" he trailed off. "You can come back here and put money in this," he said, jingling the can with the coin at passersby.

Bolin looked into the can and only saw a single coin. "Okay, that's fine. That's fine," he said with disappointment. It seemed as though he had miscalculated the public's interest in Fire Ferret-themed entertainment. "One yuan down; twenty-four thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine to go," he said.

He was beginning to feel disheartened when suddenly a loud, red speedster rolled up and parked right in front of Bolin. The driver side window rolled down, revealing a man in a fancy blue jacket with a large gold chain around his neck. "Hey, Bolin," the man greeted the young street performer. "Is that you?"

"Oh, hey there, Shady Shin," Bolin responded, trying to muster up a little enthusiasm after the abysmal turnout for his Fire Ferret Circus.

"Heard you're a big time Pro-bending player now," the now-identified 'Shady' Shin said as he stepped out of his satomobile. "Not bad."

"Uh…thanks," Bolin said, scratching the back of his neck. Even though he didn't really like to associate with people from his past, it was still somewhat embarrassing for Bolin to be seen by someone from his former life after he 'went straight.' He couldn't help but think that it kind of hurt his street cred.

"So listen, I've got an offer for you," Shady Shin always did like to get straight to the point. "Lightning Bolt Zolt is looking to hire some extra muscle."

"Uh, I don't know, Shin," Bolin said nervously. "Mako told me to stay away from the Triple Threats."

"Pfft, your brother ain't the boss o' you," Shin replied dismissively. "It's just a little security work," he assured Bolin. "Nothin' crooked." Just to make sure that the young earthbender was listening, Shin reached into his jacket and dropped a fat stack of yuans held together by a rubber band into Bolin's nearly-empty collection can.

Bolin's eyes went as big as saucer plates as he looked at the amount of money now in his possession. He gasped as he realized that he was likely holding almost 10,000 yuans, over a third of what he and Mako needed to gather in order to enter the Championship Tournament.

"You game?" Shin asked smugly, already knowing the answer.

* * *

Before the end of the Hundred Year War, the art of lightningbending was a closely-guarded secret, known only to members of the Fire Nation Royal Family. It was declared illegal for anyone but those of royal blood to even attempt to learn it. As such, the only people outside of the Royal Family that were ever taught the secrets of technique were non-benders whose loyalty to the Crown was unquestionable. It is unknown when exactly this law was put into effect or even which Fire Lord decreed it. However, their reasoning was quite clear. They feared the awesome power of lightning and didn't want for it to ever be used against them.

Dozens upon dozens of generations of Fire Lords upheld this decision. And despite the benefits to the war effort that potential hundreds of lightningbenders would provide, even Fire Lords Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai feared its potential. However, this all changed when Fire Lord Zuko officially de-classified the knowledge of how to learn lightningbending. Almost 70 years later, in the modern era, somewhere around one-in-four firebenders are able to generate lightning to some degree.

Sometime shortly after the War, engineers in Republic City learned to utilize the phenomena known as 'electricity' and used it to power various devices from radios and light bulbs to the motors and pumps used in the Pro-bending arena. Around the same time, it was discovered that lightning was essentially nothing more than pure, concentrated electricity. Several power plants quickly popped up around Republic City and within the Fire Nation offering employment to any lightningbenders in order to harness the power of their bending and ship it out to consumers' homes in massive quantities.

Initially, working in these power plants was a very lucrative opportunity for any firebender skilled enough to learn lightningbending. Unfortunately, as the number of lightningbenders continued to increase, the number of available jobs decreased, and so too did the pay for those few remaining positions. Workers were required to wear full, face-covering welder's masks to shield their eyes and face from the constant exposure to the blindingly bright lightning flashes. While their heavy leather aprons and work gloves were supposed to protect them from any stray electrical discharges.

Thanks to the…circumstances in which he grew up, Mako was one of the youngest lightningbenders in Republic City. However, he had resolved himself to never use it in way that his teacher originally wanted him to. Luckily, Mako was fortunate enough to secure a part-time position with Republic City Municipal. His supervisor was even kind enough to work around his Pro-bending schedule. Though, that might have just been because of the free tickets Mako had given him.

Mako removed the welding mask from his face and wiped the sweat from his brow just as the whistle sounded, signaling the end of his shift. The hours were long and the work was grueling, and while the pay wasn't glamorous, it was more than enough to make a decent living off of if you were dedicated enough. And now that the Fire Ferrets needed to somehow come up with thirty grand in less than a week, Mako was plenty motivated. Unfortunately, despite his protests, he was only allowed to work so many hours per day before the foreman made him leave. What was so bad about wanting to work more than a 16-hour shift?

Mako sighed as he made his way out of the power plant. With all of the overtime, he'd managed to earn about 600 yuans in one day of exhausting work. Normally, that would have been phenomenal, but this week, it just wasn't going to cut it. Maybe if he'd had about 2 more months, he might be able to scrape together the 30,000 yuans that they needed. Unfortunately, he and Bolin only had 6 more days to come up with something or else they'd be out of steady source of income for at least the next 5 months when the next Pro-bending season started.

Ah well, you can't change what you can't change. Assuming that they wouldn't be able to come up with enough cash to get into the tournament, he and Bolin needed to discuss what they were going to do about their money situation. On his way home, Mako decided to swing by his and Bolin's favorite dumpling shop for a little pick-me-up. If they were going to have to deal with such a bleak prospect, at the very least, the dumplings should help to sweeten their otherwise sour mood.

"Bo! I'm back!" Mako called out as he made his way back into their apartment above the Pro-bending arena. "Picked up your favorite dumplings…"

"Ugh," Mako groaned as he slumped onto their couch. He was exhausted after his double-shift. "Hey, I found some work down at the power plant," he continued. "It's some decent money."

Mako was starting to get annoyed at being ignored. The two of them needed to talk about some important stuff, and Bolin still hadn't come out from wherever it was he was hiding. Mako hoped that Bolin still wasn't sulking after he and Ketu had told the younger earthbender that his Fire Ferret Circus wasn't that good of an idea.

A brilliant thought then popped into Mako's head. He pulled one of the dumplings out of the white paper bag he was carrying and began to viciously and loudly devour it. If there was one thing that would draw Bolin out, it was the thought that Mako would eat all their dumplings before he even got a taste.

However, even as Mako finished swallowing down the last of his dumpling, Bolin was still nowhere to be heard. "Bolin? You here, bro!?" Mako was starting to get a little worried. Bolin was usually home by now; he didn't ever like to miss any meals.

Luckily, Mako quickly calmed down as a thought occurred to him. "Huh," he looked out the window and turned his gaze towards Air Temple Island, smirking knowingly. After Ketu had agreed to go out on a date with his childhood friend, Nima, Bolin had been ecstatic, seeing it as a golden opportunity to get closer to their team's new waterbender. "I bet the little lovebird is making a house call."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, here's Chapter 16. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter will be out on Monday 6/1. I'm about halfway through it right now, but Finals week is coming up and I won't be able to write at all for the next week and half. Hopefully, by 6/1, I'll have not only finished Chapter 17, but 18 as well and I can start uploading more often.**

**Once again, thank you all for reading. Please follow/fave if you haven't already and leave a review. Until next time...**

**-Ominous Out**


	17. Chapter 17: What Trust is Worth

Chapter 17: What Trust is Worth

As one would expect, growing up in a notorious street gang didn't exactly make for the most pleasant of childhoods. However, it wasn't just the threat of violence or the constant fear that, at any moment, the police would kick down the door and haul you off to prison. It affected Mako in ways many people overlooked; growing up with the Triple Threats meant Mako never had the opportunity to have a friend his own age.

Other than his little brother, the person closest to Mako's age was Shady Shin, and he was more than 15 years older than the two brothers. Of course, there were probably other kids that worked for the Triple Threats over the years, but Mako never knew any of them. Zolt always tried to make sure that his information network was kept compartmentalized. That way, in case one of his number runners got caught, then they wouldn't be able to expose any of the others.

Even after leaving their former life behind them, Mako never really connected with anyone other than Bolin and Toza. Sure, he and Bolin had several teammates over the years, and Bolin was always making friends with the other Pro-benders who worked out in Toza's gym. But to Mako, they were always just acquaintances, work colleagues. It was ironic then that after spending so many years being afraid that, at any moment, he and Bolin would suddenly be arrested, the first person Mako would hesitantly call a friend was actually a police officer.

Speaking of, either Ketu or Korra must have told the Air Temple Island ferry operators about Mako since they had no issues with him asking for a lift to the normally-isolated island. They didn't even ask for some sort of fee. A first for Mako since the Triple Threats would always try to charge people a 'fee' for just living on the same block as them.

The sun was setting as Mako made his way up the staircase to the training grounds, and his vision was somewhat impeded thanks to the sun's glare. Approaching the area where the monks at the dock said that Korra would be, Mako could make out the distinctive outline of Ketu in his police armor. He was standing beside two small children, and all three of them were looking at a large collection of wooden panels. Just then the two children, young girls Mako realized, raised their arms and began moving them in circular motions.

What happened next got Mako's attention and caused his eyes to widen slightly. The air above the two girls began to distort as the wind gathered in miniature cyclones. Coming to this island, Mako was aware that he was likely to run into Ketu's family. Still, this was the first time he'd ever seen someone airbend before, and it was slightly awe-inspiring. The girls then moved their arms forward, sending their collected air power at the assortment of gates in front of them, making them spin wildly.

Just as Mako was beginning to wonder where Korra was and what the point of this demonstration was, he got both answers very quickly. In the middle of all of the wooden boards was his new teammate. Korra was twisting and turning through the jumble of chaotically spinning panels as though she were dancing.

Mako was momentarily stunned. That was insane! The environment inside there was constantly changing. If you stopped moving, you'd get mauled by the hundred-pound pieces of wood. And if you didn't get your timing right and missed any of your escape windows, then you'dget mauled _again_.

"Good! Light on your feet!" the older of the two girls yelled to Korra.

Korra then popped out of the spinning labyrinth a moment later, kicking up some dust as she skidded to a halt. She leaned over and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

If this is what Korra was doing before she started Pro-bending, Mako could now see how she was able to compete at the pro level without any prior experience in the sport. Maybe he and Bolin could come here to train? It seemed to have done wonders for Korra. Pushing those irrelevant thoughts aside, Mako put his hands in his pockets and approached the group so he could ask them about his wayward little brother.

"Oo-oo, he's cute," the younger of the two girls commented as they finally noticed Mako's presence.

"Watch it…" Ketu said to the young girls with a teasing half-smile. "If I think that you two are getting old enough to start liking boys, then I'll just have to lock you both up here on the Island and never let you out."

"You do realize that there are boys here on the island too, right?" the older girl asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Ketu then let his smirk fall. "Then I guess I'll just have to _bury them all alive,_" his voice lowered menacingly, a small boulder floating above his clenched fist.

The two sisters obviously didn't believe their brother would go through with his male-purging plan as they both giggled at his antics and skipped away with the assistance of their airbending.

"You know, I don't know who I pity more," Korra commented, "Ikki and Jinora or the boys who'll try to date them."

"Oh, definitely the boys," Mako said, looking to Ketu with a grin.

"Speaking of younger siblings, where's Bolin?" Ketu asked. "Did he not want to come with you?"

Mako's smile quickly fell as a worried expression crossed his face. "I don't know," Mako answered. "I actually came here hoping to find him."

"Think something's wrong?" Ketu asked.

"I don't know," Mako said, looking to the side uncertainly. "Bolin has a knack for getting into…_stupid _situations," he continued before sighing. "See you guys later."

Mako turned around and began walking back towards the docks, but Korra quickly followed. "Wait!" she called out. "We could help you look for him," she offered.

"No—thank you," Mako said, his speech disjointed. "I, uh, I got it," he assured Korra nervously.

"Hey," Korra said, grabbing his arm. "It's okay to accept a helping hand when it's offered," she said.

"Yeah, we're friends, aren't we?" Ketu added with a look of concern.

Mako looked to the ground, thinking. He took a deep breath before answering. "Alright," he relented. He then looked to Korra. "Thank you," Mako said.

"You're welcome," Korra said a smile. "Now, I think our best bet would be to take Naga," she suggested with determination.

"Who's Naga?" Mako asked.

"My best friend," Korra explained, "and a _great_ tracker."

* * *

Ketu placed his arms on the boat's railing as he fiddled around with his sky bison whistle. He, Mako, and Korra were currently on the deck of the Air Temple Island ferry as they crossed Yue Bay to the city proper. Korra's polar bear dog, Naga, was panting excitedly as she was finally getting a chance to leave the island after several weeks. After Tenzin had found out that Ketu and Korra had been using Oogi to sneak out, he had forbade the two teenagers from using the sky bison to leave the island. Though, he did at least make it clear to the ferrymen that the two of them were allowed to leave the island at any time they chose.

"You're best friend's a polar bear dog," Mako said, looking at the panting Naga. "Somehow that makes perfect sense," he teased.

"I'll take that as a compliment _City Boy_," Korra shot back with a smirk.

"And what about _your _best friend," he asked Ketu. "Did you not want Nima to come along?"

Ketu jolted as he was caught slightly off-guard by the question. Korra was now looking at him as well, curious to see how he would answer.

"No—I mean, I wouldn't have minded if she wanted to come along," Ketu tried to explain. "It's just that she and her dad are doing inventory for the library. Apparently, her dad wants to do it every other month from now on instead of bi-annually. She'll be doing that pretty much until the end of the week."

Satisfied with his answer, the group fell into silence as they waited to reach their destination. Secretly, Ketu was thankful that she wasn't coming. If Mako's nervousness and hesitation to involve others was anything to go by, then this whole situation could end up going pear-shaped. Ketu didn't want to have to be forced to choose between defending his best friend from potential dangers or protecting Korra like his assignment mandated.

As they all disembarked from the ferry, Ketu began leading the group towards a police storage yard not too far from the docks. After being given his new assignment, this is where he had his motorcycle stored. The reason that they needed his motorcycle was twofold. First, having a police radio was always handy, especially since Mako had mentioned that Bolin had likely gotten into a '_sticky situation._' Second, while Naga was certainly strong enough to carry the three of them, the only one she would let drive was Korra. That meant that either Ketu would be forced to hug into Mako as he sat between Korra and Ketu, or vice versa. Ketu liked Mako well enough as a friend and all, but he still didn't feel like he was _that close_ to Mako.

"So," Ketu began as he threw up the door of a storage unit, revealing the motorcycle within, "any idea where we should start looking?" he asked "No offense to Naga, but I don't think that even _she_ could find a single person in a city of more than 5.6 million by just wandering around blindly."

Korra merely stuck out her bottom lip, pouting, and crossed her arms, conceding the point. She and Ketu then looked to Mako to hear his opinion.

Mako looked down, thinking. "Well, there is one place I can see him going," he finally said.

"Alright then, let's go!" Korra exclaimed, eager to get on the move.

She practically jumped onto Naga's back, holding her hand out to help Mako up as well. As the three of them began making their way to where Mako suspected his brother might be. Ketu swung his leg over his motorcycle and revved the engine to life. He had to really pull back on the accelerator to catch up with the now-running polar bear dog.

The group was traveling for several minutes with Mako directing Korra and Ketu following close behind before they finally came upon the Central City Station. "Well, this is his usual hangout," Mako said as he and Korra climbed off of Naga's back.

Ketu had to pull off to the side to find a proper parking spot for his motorcycle. As he did, he couldn't help but look up at the massive statue of Fire Lord Zuko. Despite being a loyal friend to the late Avatar Aang, Ketu had never met man personally. Though, he had met his grandson, Supreme Commander of the United Forces, General Iroh II. Despite the statue's outdated clothes and hairstyle, Ketu could definitely see the family resemblance between the two men.

Turning his attention back to the situation at hand. Ketu saw Mako and Korra talking with a young boy, Mako had just reached into his pocket and handed over several yuan to the wannabe street punk as Korra put on an aghast face. Apparently, she'd never heard of the concept of buying information.

Ketu smiled at her naivete and decided to hang back until Mako had concluded his business. After all, waving around a police badge was likely just going to make the kid clam shut.

After some more 'negotiating' in which the young boy motioned that he wanted more money, he finally leaned in close to Mako and whispered something likely very important before running off. Taking that as his queue, Ketu made his way over to Korra and Mako.

"So, find anything out?" he asked.

Mako looked nervous and was biting his lip as though her were trying to decide if he should reveal his information, "Um, well yeah…kinda, but—"

"RRU-UUGH!" Korra interrupted, frustrated with Mako's continued hesitation. "Apparently, Bolin drove off with some guy named 'Shady Shin' after he gave Bolin a big wad of cash," she quickly revealed.

"Korra!" Mako exclaimed in betrayal.

Ketu merely raised an eyebrow at the revelation that Mako's younger brother and Korra's new teammate had apparently chosen to associate himself with one of the Triple Threat Triads top lieutenants. "Anything else?" he asked, directing the question specifically at Mako.

Mako had the decency to look down in embarrassment before finally answering, "Apparently, there's some big turf war brewing between the Red Monsoons, the Agni Kais, and the Triple Threats."

"Hmm, that does align with the intel that the RCPD has been receiving," Ketu placed his hand under his chin as he processed this new information. "Word on the street is that all the triads are on the lookout for fresh muscle."

"And now, Bolin is in the middle of all of it," Korra said somberly.

* * *

The group moved along in silence as they made their way towards the Triple Threats' headquarters. After some more guilt-tripping on Ketu's part, he'd managed to convince Mako that it was in Bolin's best interest if they pulled him out now, rather than after any sort of turf war broke out, and he'd agreed to lead the Avatar and her police bodyguard to their quarry's likely location.

Never one to be good with silence, Korra finally spoke. "So, the Triple Threat Triads? Ketu and I beat up some of those yahoos when I got into town," she said. "Why would Bolin get tangled up with—"

Suddenly, a furry, red streak raced across the road, cutting Naga off. Being the dog that she was, Naga quickly turned away from her current route to chase down the offensive rodent. Ketu had to squeeze tightly on the motorcycle's breaks and swerve in order to not miss the abrupt turn that Naga had taken. Naga pursued the creature for a couple more blocks before finally forcing it to climb up a light pole. Finally, able to see it properly, the group realized that Naga had just 'treed' Bolin's pet fire ferret.

"Hey, isn't that Pabu?" Ketu asked after finally having caught up.

Naga was jumping around excitedly and salivating as she waited for her prey to finally come within biting distance. "No Naga!" Korra reprimanded, pulling hard on the dog's reins. "Pabu's a friend, _not a snack_!"

Pabu descended from his perch after the large creature below him finally calmed down. Touching his nose with Naga's, he must have decided that it was safe as he used the polar bear dog as a pathway to run straight to Mako.

Mako scooped up the nervous Pabu as he wrapped himself around Mako's shoulders. "Bolin wouldn't leave Pabu behind for anything," Mako said, petting the fire ferret reassuringly. "We gotta hurry."

After only a couple more minutes, the group finally arrived at the Triple Threat's headquarters. Mako and Korra climbed off of Naga as Ketu set down the kickstand on his motorcycle. He decided to leave the engine running though, just in case.

"Something's not right," Mako said as they approached the building. "There are usually thugs posted out front." Mako's expression betrayed him as his worry became more apparent with each passing moment.

Korra was striding confidently up to the front door when Ketu blocked her path, his back turned to her. She was about to move past him when he raised his left hand, motioning for her to stand down. Korra crossed her arms over her chest and gave a frustrated huff as she was forced to wait, but, nevertheless, did as she was prompted.

Satisfied with his charge's response, Ketu crouched low, closed his eyes, and touched the ground with his fingertips. After a moment he finally spoke, "There's no one in the house," Ketu revealed, "but there is a large group of people out back."

He paused again as though he was trying to decipher some sort of garbled message. "There's also a truck and four—no, five motorcycles," Ketu corrected. "Any idea what might be going on?" he asked Mako, opening his eyes and standing back up.

"That doesn't make any sense. The Triple Threats don't use motorcycles," Mako explained. "They only ever go around in satomobiles. That way, they can always travel in groups of three," he said, his voice taking on a distinct edge as he wondered what exactly was going on.

"Alright then, everyone keep quiet," Korra ordered as she led the two boys around the other side of the building.

The two boys followed her around without a word. As they reached the edge of the building, the three of them peered around into the alley out back. Just as Ketu had said, there were 5 motorcycles and a truck along with a large group of people. However, only about half of them appeared to Triple Threats, and they were bound and gagged as they were forced into the back of what appeared to be an RCPD paddy wagon that had all of its markings removed. The rest were all dressed similarly in dark brown and grey leather outfits that covered every part of their body and masks with glowing green goggles.

"Everyone freeze!" Korra yelled as she stepped out from behind the corner of the building, revealing their position. "You're all under arrest!"

"She's the one who said to keep quiet," Mako pointed out in exacerbation. "What does she think she's—?" he began to ask Ketu but stopped when he realized that Korra's bodyguard had disappeared.

As expected, it didn't take long for the group of kidnappers to come to the collective decision to attempt an escape with their abductees in tow. Five of them climbed onto the motorcycles while the rest piled into the truck, and as the last one was about to get in the truck, he slammed the back door.

Just before he did Mako caught a glimpse of Bolin's terrified face, and for an instant their eyes met. "BOLIN!" Mako called out desperately as his little brother was taken away from him.

Just then, another motorcycle tore past him in hot pursuit with its sirens blaring.

* * *

It was moments like these that made Ketu really miss the military. In the military, everything ran based upon a strict chain of command. No one took any major action without prior approval from their superior officer. Crazy actions, like, say, deliberately exposing your position to a group of potential hostiles, just wasn't something that ever happened.

Seriously, what did Korra think was going to happen when she demanded that these unknown criminals surrender, despite the fact that she and her group were outnumbered and had no leverage on them? Maybe she had been expecting them to stand their ground and fight? Either way, Ketu was correct when he predicted that they would choose to cut and run rather than stick around, and his forward-thinking had allowed him to keep within a close distance to the paddy wagon and group of motorcycles. The closest of which was only about 5 feet in front of him.

Sparing a quick glance back, Ketu saw that Korra and Mako were following behind on Naga, though they were about 10 meters behind him. With his allies close behind, Ketu decided to take action by thrusting his right arm forward and launching metal cables from his gauntlet to wrap themselves around the nearest motorcyclist. This was an especially difficult maneuver to pull off as he was forced to subconsciously use his metalbending to continue holding the accelerator back on his own motorcycle or else risk losing precious speed.

With his arms forced to his sides, the rider quickly lost control. Ketu detached his cables from his armor just as the bike began to wobble back and forth. The bound rider was then launched as his motorcycle finally flipped. Luckily, his landing was cushioned as he crashed into a large pile of garbage.

Looking back, Ketu hoped that Korra and Mako would do the sensible thing and secure their prisoner for questioning while he continued the pursuit. Unfortunately, it was apparently too much to hope for to expect civilians to follow basic protocol as Naga continued to bound past the subdued kidnapper without even slowing down.

Ketu was reeling back his fist again, preparing to capture another one when they all emerged into a massive intersection. Suddenly, two motorcycles broke off from the pack, each of their riders launching bolas at Ketu's motorcycle and Naga's legs, respectively. Ketu veered sharply, forcing his motorcycle to the ground and sending sparks flying everywhere as the bola sailed just inches above his head. Keeping up his momentum, Ketu used his metalbending to force his bike back upright and continued the pursuit of the truck.

Unseen by him, Naga hadn't been able to dodge the bola that had been thrown at her. With her front paws suddenly bound together, Naga fell forward, sending her two passengers careening forward onto the street. The riders that had thrown the bolas sped past Ketu and moved in to engage Korra and Mako. Ketu was fully prepared to leave them to it. After all, they were a Pro-bender and the Avatar; they could handle it, right? However, he slammed on the breaks when he heard Korra call out in pain.

Looking back, he saw that Korra and Mako each had one arm hanging limply by their side as they both tried to retreat. Their attackers were obviously well-trained, closing the distance between them and their targets at lightning-fast speeds and then expertly dodging or pulling away whenever Korra or Mako would try to fend them off with a blast of fire.

Korra attempted to send a massive wave of fire at her enemy with a large overhead kick. Unfortunately, the assailant intercepted it with their own kick. Then, they wrapped their leg around Korra's, forcing it to the ground and exposing Korra's uninjured left flank to attack. With her leg pinned, Korra swung her left arm, however, the attacker merely ducked under her arm and delivered several quick finger jabs into various points along her arm and left side. They then kicked Korra and sent her sprawling to the ground with Mako.

So that's how it was? They were chi-blockers. Wasting no more time, Ketu aimed his motorcycle back at them and pulled back on the accelerator.

The two chi-blockers had pulled out more bolas and were spinning them around in circles to build up more force and speed as they moved towards Korra and Mako menacingly. Apparently, their plan was to beat the two benders while they were unable to move.

Just as Ketu was about to reach them, he backflipped off his motorcycle and sent it speeding at his targets. The two attackers stopped swinging their bolas and were forced to jump back and away from Korra and Mako in order to dodge the several hundred pounds of metal that someone had just launched at them. Giving them no time to properly defend, Ketu swung with a strong uppercut and launched a small boulder from below the street into the torso of one of the aggressors. He was launched off of his feet and landed hard on his back, cradling his chest and most likely a few broken ribs.

It was hard to tell with the mask on, but based on their aggressive assault, Ketu would've guessed that the other chi-blocker was probably very angry with their partner's treatment. The other one quickly closed the distance between themself and Ketu. Ketu tried to fend them off with a kick, which they dodged, and followed it up with a jab. However, his opponent managed to catch his wrist, pull it up, and delivered several precise finger jabs into his right arm and side.

"Nice try," Ketu said with a smirk as he brought his back foot down.

Unfortunately for the chi-blocker, they were only met with a dull, aching feeling in their fingertips as a pillar of rock appeared between the two of them.

Ketu's opponent was forced back, and they turned to see that their partner was getting back up to his feet, though still clearly injured. The two of them then turned to Ketu as they tried to decide how to proceed.

In response, Ketu moved between them and his friends and put his fists up, prepared to fight. Just for emphasis, Ketu used his metalbending to summon the two 10-inch blades from within his gauntlets, daring the chi-blockers to even try to get close to him again.

They looked to each other for a moment before they both jumped back and reached for something on the back of their belts. Ketu heard the all-to-familiar _tink_ of a pin being pulled as two metal cylinders rolled across the ground.

Panicked, Ketu retracted his blades and attempted to bury the two bombs with his earthbending as a way to shield the blast. Luckily, there was no explosive _boom_ as copious amounts of green smoke began to escape from the cracks in Ketu's hastily created barrier. With his vision obstructed, Ketu closed his eyes and attempted to use his Seismic Sensing to find the chi-blockers. However, before he could, he heard two motorcycles rev to life as they retreated in the same direction that the truck and other motorcycles had left in.

* * *

Korra pushed herself up from off the ground. Whatever it was that those fighters had done to her had caused her muscles to go limp, and she was just now getting the feeling back in her arms. Korra could see her attackers fleeing on their motorcycles, and she attempted to throw a fireball at them. However, to her utter shock, nothing happened.

"I can't bend?" Korra threw another punch, but again nothing happened. "Argh! I can't bend!" she realized in a panic.

"Calm down. Those guys were chi-blockers," Ketu explained. "Your bending will come back," he assured her, "just give it some time." Ketu then knelt down next to Naga, withdrew one of his gauntlet blades, and used it to cut the polar bear dog free from the bola wrapped around its legs.

"Well, how're you still able to bend?" Korra asked.

Ketu merely held up his left arm and rapped his knuckles on the armor covering his forearm. "According to my mom, back when Granny Toph was fighting in the old War, she had a run-in with a chi-blocker from the Fire Nation," he explained. "Later, when she was helping to design the RCPD's armor, she made sure that it would cover all our vital chi points."

"That's all well and good, but those guys weren't just any old chi-blockers," Mako said as he slowly got off the ground on unsteady feet. "They were Amon's henchmen," he continued worriedly.

Ketu took on a thoughtful expression as he mulled over this new information. "If the Equalists are openly attacking benders now, then things are only going to get worse," he concluded. "Especially since those benders are a part of Republic City's most dangerous criminal organization."

Mako closed his eyes and put a hand on his forehead. "Ugh, I can't believe Bolin got himself into this mess!" he groaned in frustration.

"Mako, we _are_ going to save your brother," Korra assured him as she grabbed his shoulder. "I promise you that."

Ketu wanted to warn Korra about the folly of making promises she might not be able to keep. However, he chose to keep his mouth shut after seeing the calm that Korra's words brought Mako. "Well, we're not going to accomplish anything by standing around here," Ketu said, getting the other two's attention. "Let's see if that guy I tied up is still back there," he suggested, jerking his thumb in the direction that they'd all come from.

It took the group a couple minutes to backtrack, and by the time they'd reached the pile of garbage that the Equalist had landed in, he was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a tangled mess of cables and a flaming pile of metal and rubber.

"Why would he set his motorcycle on fire?" Mako asked.

"Probably to cover up where they got it," Ketu speculated. "You don't just find high-performance motorcycles and a police-grade paddy wagon laying around. Someone with a lot of resources is helping these guys out."

"There can't be that many people with that much money, right?" Korra asked. "Why don't we start by interrogating anyone rich enough to pull something like this off?"

"This is Republic City," Mako said. "You know, the industrial and economic capital of the world? Do you know how many multi-million yuan companies are in this city?" he asked rhetorically. "Heck, you met a multi-millionaire _this morning_!"

"Alright, jeez," Korra said defensively as she put her hands up. "I'm sorry for being _so ignorant_."

"Enough with the bickering!" Ketu demanded as he moved to his motorcycle. He then reached down and picked up his transceiver on his radio. "Dispatch, this is Unit 4-4-2, come in," he said.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Mako asked.

"I'm reporting this whole incident, duh," Ketu said.

"_Unit 4-4-2, this is Dispatch, we read you," _the radio blared out.

"You can't do that," Mako said desperately, ignoring the radio. "If anyone finds out about this, Bolin could get arrested."

Ketu was getting ready to say that being in jail was probably better than whatever an extremist group like the Equalists had planned for Bolin, but stopped when he saw the determined look in his friend's eye. For a moment, the two of them stared at one another, as if they were both waiting for the other one to make a move.

"_Unit 4-4-2, come in!"_ the radio screeched, regaining everyone's attention.

Ketu picked up the transceiver "This is Unit 4-4-2, sorry for the delay," he paused as he looked to Mako one last time. "We have a vehicle on fire near the intersection of 87th and Fong; requesting fire and rescue, over."

"_Copy that, 4-4-2, any idea what caused it?"_

Ketu gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "…Negative, Dispatch, no sign of the driver either."

Mako released the breath he didn't realize that he'd been holding and sent Ketu a grateful smile. Korra grinned as well, happy that Ketu was willing to put his friends first.

"_Understood,"_ Dispatch acknowledged before continuing on in a much more informal tone. "_So-o-o…__**Sergeant Sonar**__, what's it like spending your whole day doing nothin' but watching after a cutie like the Avatar?"_

Ketu's eyebrows shot up, shocked that the dispatcher would actually say something like that over an official line. He turned and saw that Korra looked to be about as irritated as he expected. Still keeping a wary eye on Korra just in case she decided to try to destroy his radio, Ketu picked up the transceiver.

"Umm…you _do _realize she can hear you, right?" he asked somewhat nervously.

It was hard to tell over the radio, but it sounded like there were fumbling noises coming in from the other end before the dispatcher voice came back on, once again all-business, "_Eh-hum, sorry, Unit 4-4-2_," Dispatch cleared his throat nervously. "_We had some, uh…interference there for a minute. Fire and rescue is en route, over and out."_

Everyone was quiet for a moment as they tried to process the whole conversation.

"Well, that was awkward," Mako concluded. "Still, thanks for not reporting my brother. We really appreciated it," he said gratefully.

"Yeah," Ketu responded wearily as he rubbed his eyes. "Now all we have to do is find and rescue Bolin before the Equalists do anything," he continued. "Oh, and to make things _even better_, we don't have any idea where to start looking," Ketu finished sarcastically.

Korra's face was still slightly red after being referred to as 'cutie.' "Well, that's not exactly true," she spoke up. "What about that protestor we ran into on my first day in town?"

"Hmm, I actually forgot about that guy," Ketu admitted as he put a hand on his chin.

"Okay," Mako prompted, "where's he usually hang out?"

"He was holding some sort of rally in the park the last time we saw him," Korra answered. "I doubt he'd be there now."

"Maybe not, but what about tomorrow, during the day?" Mako asked.

Ketu shrugged, "Couldn't hurt to check, at least."

Just then, the clock tower _gonged_, signaling that it was now past one in the morning.

"Ugh, I _really_ don't want to hear Tenzin nag at us about staying out too late," Korra groaned. "Let's just camp out in the park while we wait for our man to show up," she suggested.

"No need," Ketu said. "My apartment is just a couple blocks from the park," he revealed. "We can just crash there. Besides there's too much exposure in the park; staying inside is much safer."

Korra huffed at Ketu's need to constantly be in 'bodyguard-mode.' Still, she couldn't help but agree that staying indoors would be much more comfortable than sleeping outside with no supplies.

* * *

Ketu's apartment wasn't anything all that special. Still, it was rather large for only having a single bedroom. In fact, it was big enough that Naga was able to squish herself through the front door and curl up by the heater in the corner of the kitchen.

"Ah, home sweet home," Ketu said, stretching lazily.

"Not bad," Korra commented as she looked around. "Though, considering you're supposed to be a scion of the famous Beifong family, I wasn't expecting something…_so drab_," she commented drolly.

Ketu merely snorted and rolled his eyes Korra's attempt to appear stuck-up and began to remove his armor.

"What are you talking about, Korra?" Mako asked, apparently too enraptured with his surroundings to pick up on Korra's sarcasm. "Considering how big it is and how close we are to the park and downtown, this place must cost a fortune!"

"Well, the United Forces pays its officers well," Ketu said with a shrug as he finished taking the last of his armor off, leaving him in only his skintight undershirt.

Korra couldn't help but look away as she blushed at his defined physique.

"Anyway," Ketu continued, oblivious to Korra's predicament, "unfortunately, I only have the one bed. Korra, you can sleep there. Mako, you can crash on the couch. And I'll rough it on the floor; I've still got a bedroll stashed somewhere in the closet," he said as he began to rummage through a closet located in the hall just outside the bedroom.

"Alright," Mako said, yawning as he made his way to the couch. "Sounds good to me."

"Well that doesn't work for me," Korra spoke up, forcing Mako to stop with a hand on his shoulder. "We're just guests here," she continued as she finally managed to force down her blush. "You should be able to sleep in your own bed."

"Don't worry about it, Korra," Ketu assured her. "I've had to rough it before."

"Ha!" Korra laughed. "If you think that sleeping on the carpeted floor of a temperature-controlled apartment is 'roughing it,' then you really should just take the bed," she challenged.

"Oh yeah," Ketu agreed sarcastically, "and surviving in the Si Wong Dessert for a week with less than a liter of water? I mean that was practically like a beach vacation!"

Mako groaned to himself. He could tell that the two of them were going to be at it for a while. "Hey guys—" he tried to get their attention.

"Alright, listen," Korra said, cutting Mako off in the process. "I'm from the Southern Water Tribe," she explained, putting a hand on her chest. "It's bad manners to inconvenience your host."

Mako sighed. Neither one of them were going to listen at this point, so he decided to just accept that fact as he sleepily made his way to the one place that knew neither one of them were going to be sleeping.

"Well then, it's a good thing we're in the United Republic," Ketu shot back, "where people are expected to be gracious to—"

Ketu was interrupted by the sound of loud, rumbling snores coming from the partially cracked-open bedroom door. Korra turned her attention to door as well, and the two of them stared at it for a minute as they processed what had just happened.

After a moment, Ketu finally spoke, "Okay, now that was just rude."

"Totally," Korra quickly agreed.

They both paused and then chuckled at the whole situation before Ketu finally started to set up his bedroll.

Korra smirked as she watched him. "Yeah, you enjoy your nice, cushy sleeping bag. All I need is my gal, Naga, here," she said, sitting next to her polar bear dog and reclining into her side. "Isn't that right, girl?"

In response, Naga merely scooched away from the young woman who was attempting to use her as some sort of lounge chair, causing Korra to lose her balance as her back hit the hard floor. It was clear that Naga wasn't willing to share her corner or, more specifically, the space heater with anyone, even her own mistress.

Ketu let out a bark of laughter at the exchange as he laid down on his bedroll and set his alarm clock.

Korra gave her traitorous steed the stink eye for several moments before finally relenting with a sigh. Swallowing her pride, Korra walked up to Ketu. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare bedroll, would you?" she asked.

"No, sorry," he answered with a lopsided grin from his position on the ground. "But there is a blanket on the back of the couch if you want to sleep there," he offered.

Korra pursed her lips at Ketu's attempt at winning this metaphorical challenge. With a huff, she yanked the blanket and plopped herself down on the floor a few feet away from him.

They both laid there in silence before Korra finally started to move around, trying to find a comfortable position to lay in on the hard floor. She even attempted to put the blanket under herself to use as some sort of cushion.

Finally feeling sorry enough for her, Ketu unzipped his sleeping bag and laid the whole thing out flat. He then slid over to the far right, before rolling to his side, facing away from Korra, and closing his eyes as he tried to go to sleep despite the chill of no longer having a cover.

Korra was trying to be quiet, but Ketu could tell that she had been watching him, and through his Seismic Sense, he could feel it as she moved in to lay on the unoccupied half of the padding that he had provided. What he had not expected was the warmth of the blanket that Korra had been using as it was suddenly draped over the two of them.

Without a word, they fell asleep. Both of them silently acknowledging that this little competition of theirs had ended with a draw.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, sorry for the delayed upload, hopefully you can forgive me considering that this chapter is basically two-in-one (almost 7,000 words). Back when I said that I was halfway through this chapter, I didn't realize how long it was going to be. I just couldn't find a good spot to end it while still keeping in everything that I wanted.**

**Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. If you haven't already, please, follow/fave and leave a review. It's what motivates me to spending my free time writing, instead of playing video games or something. I'll try to have the next chapter out in 2-3 weeks. You can expect for it to be my customary 3,000-4,500 words. Hope you guys are having a good summer and stay safe out there.**

**-Ominous Out**


	18. Chapter 18: Mementos from Family

**A/N: I apologize for the extra long delay, but I have good news at the end!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Mementos from Family

There's a saying that everyone has an internal clock, some sort of instinctual urge that forces their bodies to operate on a 24-hour, day-and-night cycle. Ketu wasn't sure how much of that statement was true. After all, he knew plenty of guys on the force who slept during the day, so they can work all night; and they've been doing the night shift for years with no issues. Still, after several years of being forced to wake up at 0600 every day, he did believe that there was some sort of way for the body to learn to tell time, even to an eerily precise degree. Perhaps it was through feeling changes in the air temperature, sensing sunlight, or some other factor people weren't consciously aware of.

Whatever it was, it was thanks to that 'internal clock' that Ketu was usually able to wake up several minutes before his alarm forcefully jolted him awake. And he was never more thankful for it than he was this morning. It was 5:57 a.m., so that meant Ketu had less than three minutes to figure out how to extract himself from the predicament he currently found himself in before the alarm clock went off and woke everyone else up.

Said predicament could prove to be very dangerous if not handled with the utmost care and precision. Apparently, at some point in the night, Ketu had rolled over so that he was facing Korra. Then, one, or possibly both, of them had moved closer to the other. Close enough, in fact, that Korra's back was now pressed against Ketu's chest, Ketu had his right arm draped across Korra's midsection, and she had her own arms loosely wrapped around his.

Ketu had fallen into a deep slumber shortly after hearing Korra's own soft snores the night before. On top of that, the pad they were on was somewhat on the small side, so he couldn't be certain who had moved in to snuggle with who. Either way, it would undoubtedly spell disaster for _him_ if Korra thought, for even a second, that he had tried to take advantage of the situation.

Ketu took a calming breath as he tried to remain as still as possible in order to avoid waking Korra. He now had less than two minutes to solve this problem before the alarm clock went off and blew his cover. He gave his wrist an experimental twitch to see how deeply Korra was sleeping. After a few moments in which Korra didn't seem to react at all, Ketu began the slow and arduous process of gradually extracting his arm from Korra's grasp.

With less than a minute before the alarm clock went off, Ketu had successfully pulled his arm out past his elbow and Korra only had a light grasp on his wrist. He knew there was a squeaky floorboard just behind his back, so he had to be careful not to shift his weight too much. Just as he was about to fully remove himself from her grip, Korra gave a soft "_e-u-mph_," and Ketu's heart stopped.

To anyone else it may have seemed like just a soft, barely distinct groan, but to Ketu, it was like the growling of an angry Armadillo Lion. He paused, and when Korra didn't make any further noises he pulled his arm completely free and slowly began to stand up. With only seconds before the alarm clock went off, Ketu scurried into the kitchen on the other side of the apartment before Korra woke up and figured out what had happened overnight.

* * *

Korra was roused from her sleep by the insistent rattling of an alarm clock. For a moment, she was confused. Normally, she would awaken to the sound of Pema softly knocking on her door to tell her breakfast was ready. Also, this wasn't her blanket, and it didn't feel like she was laying in her bed on Air Temple Island. Then, the events of the night before suddenly came back to her.

She, Ketu, and Mako had left to find Bolin, discovered that he had been kidnapped by Equalists, and they all decided to spend the night at Ketu's apartment before resuming their search this morning. Korra then remembered that she and Ketu had shared a bed, or a pad rather, after arguing about who should sleep where. Korra felt her cheeks heat up. However, thanks to the alarm clock's continuing racket, she quickly realized that Ketu wasn't laying on the pad anymore.

"Oh man," Mako's called from the bedroom. "Would someone, please, turn that thing off?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he moved into the living room.

"Just hit the switch on the back!" Ketu's voice came from the kitchen.

Korra turned off the alarm as she got up and followed Mako into the kitchen. Ketu had just pulled a steaming pot of tea off the burner on the stove as she and Mako sat down at the table. Ketu brought them each a piece of toast and a cup of tea.

"Oo-oo, goin' extra fancy with your breakfast here," Korra snarked with a teasing smile as she took a bite of her toast. "Really giving us the five-star treatment."

"Yeah, well, we've got a busy day," Ketu explained before taking a large gulp of his tea. "We gotta leave in the next few minutes if we want to make sure that we're going to catch that Equalist protestor," he said, summoning his gauntlets to himself from the other room.

"Are we sure that he'll even show up?" Korra asked, taking a sip of her tea. "After all, we did kinda scare—" she was cut off as she suddenly spit her tea out. Luckily, she wasn't facing either Mako or Ketu, so no one got a face-ful of hot tea. "BLEH!" Korra said, disgusted, "Ketu, I think your tea went bad or something." She then held the cup away from her as though it were poisonous.

"It's not tea," Ketu rolled his eyes as he put a heavy brown jacket over his light grey armor. "It's coffee," he explained as his police badge flew into his open palm.

Mako gave his cup a curious look. "So what is '_cough-FEE,_' exactly?" he asked before taking an experimental sip. His face quickly took on a pained expression as the incredibly bitter taste hit his tongue. Though, he did manage to choke it down, at least, rather than spitting it across the room.

"You just put ground up coffee beans in a paper filter, and then run hot water through it," Ketu answered as he placed his badge in a pocket on the inside of his coat.

"You're saying that you were trying to get us to drink _bean juice_ that's been sitting in wet paper?!" Korra asked, utterly flabbergasted. "What'd we ever do to you?"

Ketu sighed. "Look, I'll admit, coffee's more of an…acquired taste, so if you don't like it, then just don't drink it," he offered as he wrapped his orange scarf around his neck. When did he even get it? He left it in the living room the night before.

Korra didn't waste any time as she practically ran to the sink and dumped the contents of her cup down the drain. She then finished what was left of her toast before washing it down with a swig of water. Mako, on the other hand, seemed to be torn on what exactly he should do with the concoction swirling around in his cup.

"You know?" Ketu supplied. "Coffee does a better job of waking a person up and giving them more energy for the day than any brew of tea I've come across."

"Well, yeah," Korra added, "with a taste that foul, you could probably wake the dead."

Ketu groaned in annoyance. "If you really thought it was that bad, then you could've just added some cream and sugar," he shot back.

Mako rolled his eyes, seeing that the two of them were about to get into another long-winded…debate like they did last night. Still, Ketu was nice enough to let them stay at his place, and he even made them breakfast, meager as it was; Mako didn't want to seem rude. He steeled his resolve, picked up the cup of coffee, and downed it all in one go, hoping to avoid tasting the bitter liquid as much as possible.

Korra and Ketu paused their argument as they both looked at Mako in shock, waiting to see his reaction. Korra was surprised someone would willingly drink that swill. While Ketu was surprised because he had just made the coffee, not but two minutes ago, so it was still steaming-hot. However, to both their shock, Mako merely got up, grabbed his dishes, and put them in the sink without so much as a word. He then made his way towards the living room, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

"You guys coming?" Mako asked from the open doorway.

* * *

The three teenagers were hiding behind a grove of trees just big enough to conceal Naga that was right off the main pathway. As they were waiting for the Equalist protestor to arrive, Mako couldn't help but admit that the location that Ketu and Korra had spotted him at originally was the perfect spot for a public rally. It was far enough in that people wouldn't immediately turn away after seeing the rally while still being close enough to the entrance that it was unavoidable.

Mako, Ketu, and Korra had been waiting for over half an hour, and so far all they'd seen was a jogger taking an early morning run, and the only sound they'd heard was the sound of Korra running her hands up and down her bare arms as she tried to warm herself. Unlike Mako and Ketu, Korra neglected to wear a jacket, and the only real piece of winter gear she was wearing were the snow boots that seemed to be a permanent feature of her outfit. Pacing back and forth impatiently, Mako couldn't help but sigh internally at her fashion choices. At least her toes were warm.

Finally, Ketu couldn't help it as he let out a chuckle at Korra's situation as she huddled next to a napping Naga to try to warm up.

In response, Korra shot him a scowl. "Could you, _please,_ not laugh at my misery?" she asked

"I can't help it," Ketu continued to chuckle, though he did at least have the decency to try to cover it up. "Aren't you from the South Pole?" he asked. "How could _you_, of all people, _not_ come prepared for cold weather?"

Mako couldn't help but chuckle along at the irony of the situation too. Ketu did have a good point.

Korra merely pouted as she was seemingly being ganged up on. "Well, it's not like I was planning on standing around in the middle of the park at the crack of dawn when we left Air Temple Island yesterday," she defended.

Now the boys felt bad, especially Mako, since he was the one who'd asked for their help in the first place.

"Alright fine," Ketu relented. "You can have my jacket," he said as he began to take it off.

"I don't need your charity!" Korra shot back, stubborn as ever. However, she looked ridiculous saying that with her arms still wrapped around herself as she tried to keep warm.

Ketu rolled his eyes at her constant need to appear tough. "Fine," he relented, "but at least take this." He quickly unwrapped his dark orange scarf from his neck and draped it around Korra's shoulders before she could protest.

"Huh, it's heavier than it looks," she commented as the weight settled on her. Though that did at least mean it was warmer.

It had an aroma of sea water with a tinge of something almost metallic. It was a distinctively 'Ketu' smell Korra noted with a small blush as she realized that she was practically sniffing the man's scarf right in front of him.

Luckily, Ketu either didn't notice or didn't seem to care. "Yeah, Uncle Bumi made it for me back when I first joined up as a Junior Cadet," he smiled at the fond memory. "He said it was important to remember that even though we were in the military, we were still a part of a proud lineage of Air Nomads, and that we should always behave as such," Ketu explained as he looked at the scarf's distinctive color.

Korra and Mako smiled at the story as well, though a thought then occurred to Korra. "Wait, don't you mean your uncle _had_ _it made_ for you?" she asked.

"No," Ketu answered, "I mean he made the scarf himself."

"Hold on," Mako interjected. "Are you trying to say that the Mad-Genius Bumi, Commander of the United Forces, Second Division..._knits_?"

Ketu merely smiled before turning to Korra. "You've met my gran-gran, right?" he asked.

"Master Katara?" Korra queried with a raised eyebrow as she was somewhat confused by the sudden change of subject. "Yeah, why?"

"And how big a fan of 'traditional gender roles' would you say she is?" Ketu asked. "You know, the whole 'women need to stay in the kitchen while the men go hunting' sort of stuff," he clarified.

Korra frowned. "I'd say she's about as fond of them as I am," she answered bitterly.

"Right," Ketu continued with a small grin. No one could ever accuse Korra of being a prissy princess. "And how do you think Gran-gran would react if some snot-nosed little punk, say…her oldest son, for example, came up to her and demanded that she sew up the hole in his pants because, and I quote, 'it's women's work?'"

Korra was practically irate now. The thought that _anyone_ would ever talk to her childhood mentor in such a manner infuriated her. Katara was the one who taught Korra to be proud of who she was and to not let anyone ever put her down just because of her gender. "I think she'd tell him that he could just go and do it him—!" Korra began angrily, but she stopped as a realization came to her. "O-o-oh, now I get it," she finished with a small chuckle.

"That's right," Ketu confirmed with a matching smirk. "Though Gran-gran was at least nice enough to teach him how to do it the first time."

"Now _that_ makes a lot more sense," Mako commented. After all, Katara was famous the world over as an activist for women's rights.

"Anyway after Gran-gran taught him how, Uncle Bumi found out he actually enjoyed sewing," Ketu continued. "Eventually, he even asked her if she could teach him how to knit."

"So how about you, Ketu?" Korra enquired. "Do _you_ know how to knit?" she asked teasingly.

Ketu smiled. "Uncle Bumi taught me the basics, but it gets pretty repetitive after a while, so I never really got into it as much as he did," he answered with a dismissive shrug.

"So no, I won't be making you any sweaters or hats any time soon," Ketu continued with some good-humored snark. "Still, I could probably make a halfway decent blanket or scarf, though it won't be nearly as good as _that_ masterpiece," he nodded towards his orange scarf around Korra's neck.

Korra then looked closer at the garment strung across her shoulders. Aside from its deceptively heavy weight, there didn't appear to be anything all that special about it. It didn't seem to be made with any kinds of special materials, just simple yarn, and it lacked any sort of intricate designs as well. Although Korra definitely wouldn't say that it was shabby, she certainly wouldn't call it a 'masterpiece.' Perhaps Ketu's personal feelings regarding the gift from his uncle were just influencing his perception.

"So," Ketu then said to Mako, "I bet _your_ scarf has a story attached to it too." Throughout the whole discussion about Ketu's scarf, he had noticed that Mako was, at least subconsciously, looking down at his own.

"Huh?" Mako shifted uncomfortably as he looked up.

Korra quirked an eyebrow as her curiosity had been piqued as well.

Mako sighed as he seemed to be weighing whether or not he should before looking back down at his red scarf longingly. "Well, it's not handmade or anything special like that, at least I don't think it is," he began. "Still, it was a gift that my mother gave to my father, and…and it's all I have left of him," Mako closed his eyes as he gripped the scarf tightly, almost as though he were suddenly afraid that it might disappear if he let go.

Both Korra and Ketu were silent as they tried to process the feelings that their normally stoic friend had just shared.

Ketu, in particular, felt bad since he was the one who'd brought up the entire thing. He had hoped that some lighthearted teasing might help to take Mako's mind off of Bolin's situation as they waited for the Equalist protestor to arrive. Honestly, Ketu was just expecting to hear some sort of awkwardly hilarious story about a cringy fangirl, not the lamentations of someone who'd lost practically everything at such a young age.

Korra finally decided to bring the topic to something more relevant. "So why is Bolin running around with the Triple Threat Triad, anyway?" she asked.

"Well we—we used to do some work for them…back in the day," Mako explained nervously as he averted his eyes.

"What?!" Korra exclaimed in surprise. "Are you some sort of criminal or something?" she demanded.

"Calm down, Korra," Ketu quickly defended. "Other than Bolin's current…dilemma, the only thing he and Mako have ever done for the Triple Threats was act as number runners for their gambling racket back when they were kids," he explained.

Mako finally looked up and turned to Ketu with a shocked expression. Mako always made sure to keep his past with the Triple Threats as secret as possible, only just now feeling comfortable enough to share it with his new friends. And yet, somehow Ketu seemed to already know about it.

"I'm Korra's bodyguard," Ketu looked Mako square in the eye, unflinching, as he answered Mako's unasked question. "Did you honestly think I'd let you guys join her team without knowing _everything_ there is to know about you?"

Mako stared back at Ketu. "We were orphans. I did what I had to do to survive," Mako spoke back, unapologetically, "and to protect my little brother."

Ketu felt the corner or his lip quirk up slightly. He may not have agreed with Mako's actions; he believed that there was always an alternate path than a life of crime. Still, Ketu could respect Mako's conviction. There wasn't anything Ketu wouldn't do to keep his little brother and sisters safe.

"It must have been really hard," Korra looked down. "Can I ask what happened to your parents?"

Mako closed his eyes and sighed as the conversation was inevitably brought back to his family. "They were mugged…by a firebender," he answered simply, though the pain in his voice was apparent. "He cut them down right in front of me. I was eight."

"Mako…" Korra said in sympathy.

"Bolin's the only family I have left," Mako continued. "If anything happened to him..." he trailed off.

However, before Mako could continue, he was cut off by the sound of a megaphone screeching to life. "Equality Now! Equality Now!"

"I'd recognize that annoying screeching anywhere," Ketu said with a roll of his eyes.

The trio then left their hiding spot to confront the Equalist. "We want equality NOW!" he screamed into his megaphone as he stood on his small table with his fist raised. Korra and the boys must have been distracted by their conversation because the protestor was able to set up his table full of pamphlets as well as a large poster of Amon as his backdrop, all without any of them noticing.

"Non-benders of Republic City, Amon calls you to action," the weasel-y man continued to spew forth his propaganda. "Take back your city! It's time for the—" he stopped mid-sentence as he finally spotted the Avatar and her police escort approaching.

"It's _you two_ again," he gasped in surprise. Nevertheless, he quickly rallied himself again as he brought his megaphone back up to his face and pointed an accusatory finger at the two benders. "You _cannot _silence—!" However, the wannabe recruiter was quickly silenced as his megaphone was torn from his grip by a certain metalbender yet again, just as it had been a couple of weeks prior.

"I'm sorry," Ketu said into the megaphone as he turned its volume to maximum. "I can't hear you! Could you speak up!?"

Having such a loud noise suddenly be turned back on him caused the Equalist to jump in surprise, lose his footing on his table/platform, and fall to the ground, kicking up a pile of his pamphlets on his way down. Though, he quickly scrambled to his feet in order to confront the offending benders. He angrily pointed a finger at the metalbender, "What do you think you're—?"

"You know," Ketu continued with an almost conversational tone as he cut the man off once again, "I seem to recall letting you off with a warning last time we met. Something about not using this device out in public without first having the proper permits," he pointed to the megaphone while still keeping his voice casual. "Now please, don't tell me that you _knowingly_ broke the law after I was _gracious_ enough to inform you of the city's statutes last time we talked," Ketu intoned with false disappointment as he pulled his police badge out from inside his pocket.

He showed it to the surrounding crowd, causing most of them to disperse as they did not want to get involved. Though, a couple did hang around while still staying out of the way; they were most likely Equalist supporters who didn't appreciate their rally being interrupted.

The man's accusatory finger fell to his side, and even his sideburns seemed to droop a little. The once-righteous fire burning in his belly was now turning into a growing dread as the realization that he might _actually_ go to jail finally dawned on him.

Ketu sighed as the shorter man failed to answer him. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter," Ketu continued with his disappointed tone. "We can just sort this out during your processing," Ketu explained as his metal cuffs floated out of his jacket.

"Processing!?" the man's already-pale skin became a shade whiter as the cuffs locked around his wrists and began to force his hands together behind his back. "You can't _seriously _be arresting me for a _noise violation_?!"

"You're right," Ketu confirmed. "I _can't_ detain you for a simple noise complaint."

The man breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it was just bluff, and now this pretentious bender would be forced to let him go. He had a self-satisfied grin on his face as he waited for the cuffs to eventually unlock themselves.

"I'm taking you in for kidnapping."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Again, I'm sorry about the long delay, but good news. Chapter 19: "Secrets and Prejudice" will be out in 2 weeks (9/13). I say "WILL" because I've already finished it along with Chapter 20, which will bring us to the end of Episode 3. I think I'll be doing it this way from now on: finish an "episode," then release its chapters every 2 weeks. Not sure how long it'll take since I'm back in school again and still working full-time. Gotta say nuclear physics is kinda mind-bending.**

**Anyway, again, sorry for the massive delay, but thank you to everyone who kept interested in the story. Thanks for all the reviews, it's what keeps me motivated. See you all again on 9/13.**

**-Ominous Out**


	19. Chapter 19: Secrets and Prejudice

Chapter 19: Secrets and Prejudice

A person's life can change drastically in an incredibly short amount of time. For a 12 year-old Avatar Aang, it was after emerging from an iceberg, only to find out that he'd actually been asleep for almost a hundred years and that his entire culture had been wiped out in that time. For Ketu, it was when he and his patrol had been ambushed while crossing through the shifting sands of the Si Wong desert. And for a certain anti-bending protestor who had started his morning by holding a rally in support of his great leader, Amon, it was when he was being hauled off to prison for a crime he didn't commit.

"Kidnapping!?" the Equalist sympathizer exclaimed in alarm. "I haven't abducted anyone, I swear! You have to believe me!" he shouted, not just to the metalbending police officer currently dragging him off, but also to his few remaining supporters still standing with him.

"Here's what I _believe_, you shifty, little monkey-rat!" Ketu suddenly roared as he grabbed the man by the collar with both hands and lifted him completely off the ground.

The abrupt change in tone, as well as having a six-foot tall earthbender suddenly screaming in your face, was quite the shock for the much smaller man. So much so that he looked almost like he was ready to soil himself.

"I just saw my friend and six other benders get taken right out of their homes last night by a bunch of chi-blocking clowns working for _that guy_," Ketu pointed towards the large poster of Amon with one hand, while still managing to hold the shorter man off his feet with just one arm as he pulled him closer so that they were practically nose-to-nose. "As far as I'm concerned, if you're a part of their little group, then you're an accomplice to all their crimes."

Hearing this, the few remaining Equalists supporters quickly abandoned their would-be comrade for fear of their own perceived involvement. In Republic City, kidnapping carried a 25-year long charge, and according to the police officer's story, this guy was liable for at least seven counts of it.

While this exchange was going on, Korra and Mako were hanging back and letting Ketu handle the situation. All the while, the two of them were wearing similar smirks. Korra because she was here the last time they had to deal with this annoying jerk, and it was almost cathartic to see him get his comeuppance. And Mako because he could see that Ketu was in total control, and it was just a matter of time before he got the man to flip and reveal Bolin's location.

Seeing that he was now completely alone with just the Avatar, her police bodyguard who was currently trying to arrest him, and their friend who didn't seem to be all that sympathetic himself, the once-proud rally master was now panicking. "No, please, I had nothing to do with your friend's kidnapping. I'll do whatever it takes to prove it," he begged.

"Then what's this 'revelation?'" Mako finally stepped up, holding one of the man's Equalists pamphlets up to his face. "What's happening at nine o'clock?"

"No one knows what the revelation is," the frightened man answered "a-and I have no idea what happened to your friend—"

"My brother!" Mako interrupted, looking almost as furious as Ketu. "My little brother."

"Y-Y-Your brother—?" the small man corrected as his abnormally pale skin seemed to get another shade whiter. "I-I have no idea what happened to your brother…b-b-but I might know where they took him," he quickly added.

"Then tell us," Mako commanded as Ketu dropped the man to the ground. Ketu released the link keeping the two cuffs together, but still left the metal bands around the man's wrists, just in case he tried something.

The man scrambled on his hand and knees as he gathered together and re-arranged several pamphlets that had been knocked to the ground. "I-It's here," he pointed to a red dot on the back of one of the pamphlets.

Taking a step back the three teenagers realized that it wasn't just random lines and shapes on the back of the pamphlets; it was a map.

"This is where the Revelation is supposed to take place," the man explained. "It may also be where they took your brother."

"Hmm, this looks like the eastside docks, here," Ketu said, pointing to a small outcropping on the map, just to the west of the red dot. "That must mean they're having their big Revelation in one of the empty warehouses in the Works district."

Korra, Mako, and Ketu were quiet for several moments as they processed this new information, each trying to formulate their own plan.

"C-can you, please, just let me go now?" he practically begged, holding up the metal cuffs still around his wrists. "I had nothing to do with those benders getting kidnapped."

The trio looked down at the man, surprised that he actually had the audacity to request such a thing after being such a jerk to all of them. If he'd really wanted to be let go, then he should have kept his mouth shut and tried to keep being helpful.

After a moment of internal deliberation Ketu made his decision. "Fine," he relented, unlocking the man's cuffs with a wave of his hand and summoning the metal bands back to his open jacket. "But if I ever see you associating with those _criminals_ again, next time I won't be as _nice _as I was today." His voice sounded like the growling of an angry Armadillo Lion ready to pounce.

The man scrambled to his feet and stumbled away, desperate to get away from the group of benders. "L-Look, this doesn't mean that I've quit supporting the anti-bending movement," the man boldly proclaimed, though he still lacked the spine to even look the three of them in the eye. "Still," he continued remorsefully, "I had no idea that the Equalists would actually go around hurting people."

In the shorter man's defense, the realization that his 'precious Amon' wasn't the paragon of peace, justice, and virtue that he envisioned appeared to shake the man as his voice seemed to hold genuine sadness and disappointment as he spoke of the Equalists. Finally, he raised his gaze to meet the three benders. Rather than being filled with their normal disgust and vindictive fire, his eyes were weary and held a tiredness that hadn't been there just a few moments prior.

"When you get to the Revelation, be sure to bring a few of _those_ along," the now-former Equalist supporter said, motioning to the few remaining pamphlets that hadn't been blown away in the wind. "They'll act as your pass; you'll need them to get inside," he finished as he turned his back on the group and began to slowly trudge away from his former rally site.

* * *

"Are you really sure you should have let that guy go?" Mako asked Ketu as he scooped several pamphlets up off the ground. "He could easily go and warn his friends about us," he pointed out, handing one of the pamphlets to Korra.

"Well, it's not like I could have actually arrested him," Ketu defended as he accepted the pamphlet that Mako held out to him.

"Then what was all that stuff about being 'an accomplice to the kidnappings?'" Korra asked, clearly confused.

"If you'll recall, _someone_ asked me to not report those incidents last night," Ketu explained, eying Mako. "As far as the RCPD knows, no crimes have occurred. I can't exactly arrest anyone for something that 'hasn't happened.'"

"So you were just bluffing!?" Mako asked in shock.

"Why do you think I'm not wearing my police uniform today?" Ketu asked, pointing out his civilian attire. "Everything about this whole operation is off-the-books," he revealed. "If this goes sideways, we're on our own."

Mako and Korra were quiet as they came to the realization that if something _were_ to go wrong, then they'd have no support like they'd originally assumed.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Ketu asked once again. "It's not too late for me to call in backup."

"…No," Mako answered, well-aware that involving the police, officially, would spell doom for his little brother's future. "We'll just have to do this on our own."

"Yeah," Korra agreed, cracking her knuckles. "The three of us, we've got this," she smiled with determination.

* * *

It was late in the fall, so that meant by 8:30 p.m. the sun had completely set, and the numerous electric lights which illuminated Republic City were all turned on. In many parts of the city, the lights were so bright that the only indication that it was actually night out were the twinkling stars in the sky. However, in the warehouse district, this wasn't the case. With barely enough light to allow pedestrians to avoid accidently wandering into traffic, no could mistake this for the glittering jewel of the cityscape that people usually saw on postcards.

The empty smokestacks of the factory district just to the south seemed lifeless and gave off a sense of abandonment. Everything about this part of town was bleak with an air of hopelessness. It was almost poetic for a group that claimed it was being oppressed would willingly choose to hold some sort of massive rally in such a depressive place.

Though, the more she thought about it, the more Korra became convinced that the Equalists had chosen this place by design. After all, with groups like these, the key to keeping their people's support was to keep them frustrated and angry. And as she, Mako, and Ketu were making their way to the place on their map, she could certainly attest that this part of town wasn't exactly the best at putting people at ease.

As they finally approached their destination, they could see a large crowd of people outside the entrance of a humongous warehouse. Many of them were dressed similar to Korra and the boys in large dark overcoats with either hats or upturned collars to help obscure their features. After dealing with the Equalist protestor they'd all gone back to Ketu's apartment to pick up a change of clothes, in order to avoid being recognized as the Avatar and her entourage.

Mako was wearing a dark brown, high-collared raincoat with a grey flat cap on his head. He'd decided to forgo wearing his distinctive red scarf that many knew him for. Instead, giving it to Korra to go with her lightly-toned, patchwork jacket, hoping that it would help hide her unmistakably Water Tribe features. While the faded bowler hat did a good job covering her easily recognizable topknot and ponytails.

Ketu was a few steps ahead of the two of them wearing a dark, almost black, colored overcoat. The coat was several sizes too big, however, it needed to be in order to conceal his armored legs, gauntlets, and the two spools of metal cables on his back. Unlike Korra and Mako, he wasn't wearing any sort of hat, though he did have his dark orange scarf pulled up to help obscure the lower part of his face.

As they got closer to the entrance, Ketu broke off as Korra and Mako held back. Korra gave a small huff as they did this. Sure, they all may have planned this ahead of time but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Ketu always seemed to be in 'bodyguard-mode,' as she'd come to call it, and his initial reasoning was just as overprotective and 'bodyguard-ish' as she'd come to expect. He'd claimed that he should go in alone first, just in case their 'new friend' was actually just trying to set them up to get caught. It was irritating that Ketu didn't think that she could handle herself if it did turn out to be a trap. Sure, he may have been in the military for five years, but she'd been training to be the Avatar for the last _thirteen_.

Luckily, Mako had been there to stop the argument from escalating any farther. He'd done so by pointing out that extremists like the Equalists were usually loners. They rarely ever shared their bigoted opinions openly except during huge events like this with other likeminded individuals. Having the three of them show up as a group might draw unwanted attention. They'd all agreed that if they really had been set up by that anti-bending protestor, then Ketu would have the best chance to escape. If not by leveraging his position as a police officer, then by using his metalbending.

Korra and Mako were a couple of rows of people behind Ketu as he approached the doorman. The man was incredibly large, almost a full head taller than even Ketu. He seemed to be acting as some sort of bouncer, turning away those who didn't meet some sort of criteria. Though the man had a certain pudgy…_girth_ to his build, there was no denying that there was a heavy layer of muscle hidden under those fat rolls. As Ketu stepped up to him, the man crossed his huge arms and glowered down at him.

"This is a private event," Korra heard him say. "No one gets in without an invitation."

Ketu didn't say a word and merely reached into his overcoat and pulled out one of the pamphlets that the protestor had given them. The doorman frowned as Ketu didn't say a word. He grabbed the pamphlet and inspected it closely.

Finally, the man turned his gaze back to Ketu, giving him an inquisitive look. "You aren't trying to hide something, are you?" The hulking man was eying Ketu's baggy overcoat and the scarf concealing the lower half of his face. "Tell me, _brother_, why have _you_ come to see the Revelation tonight?" he asked suspiciously.

From their position, Korra and Mako could only see Ketu's back, so there was no way for them to tell how nervous he may have been.

Again, Ketu didn't speak as he opened his overcoat. He seemed to be rummaging around with something before his right arm was finally lifted up to his shoulder. The people behind could just barely see that Ketu was holding up the bottom of his shirt and exposing his chest to the doorman.

Korra and Mako looked at each other in confusion. However, the doorman's suspicious look quickly vanished, being replaced with one of utter shock with traces of sympathy and understanding. Those closest to the two men peeked around curiously. They all gasped after laying eyes on Ketu until he finally let go of his shirt and closed the overcoat.

"We all feel your pain, brother," the doorman intoned somberly. "Perhaps after tonight, you will feel some sense of justice has been served upon those who have hurt you."

"My friends have come with me," Ketu finally spoke. His tone was flat, betraying no emotion as he looked back at Mako and Korra.

"Of course," the large bouncer said as he motioned for the crowd of people to make a path for the two of them.

Mako and Korra nervously made their way through the crowd to join Ketu. Initially, their plan called for them to split up and then meet back together on the inside in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves. However, whatever it was that Ketu had shown the doorman had already gotten plenty of attention from him and the crowd, so they may as well take advantage of the situation to ensure that all three of them made it inside.

As Mako and Korra met up with Ketu the doorman's face seemed much softer than it had when he was initially questioning Ketu. "The revelation is upon us, my brothers and sister," he said as he allowed them to pass by.

The trio relaxed, ever so slightly, as they made their way through a hallway filled with pipes and machinery. Though they were still in enemy territory, they'd cleared possibly one of their biggest hurdles of the evening by even managing to successfully infiltrate the event. Finally entering the main event section, the three teenagers stepped out of the hallway and onto a landing overlooking a vast, open area in front of an equally-massive stage. Though the floor was open, that didn't mean it was empty.

"Woah," Ketu said in surprise. "I knew the Equalist movement was big, but I didn't think that they'd gotten _this big_." As he looked upon the huge, flat surface below him, he saw hundreds upon hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, Equalist supporters.

"Just keep your eyes out for Bolin," Mako ordered, seemingly uninterested in the fact that, with these numbers, the Equalists could now pose a serious threat to the city. He made his way down the stairs and into the massive crowd, followed quickly by Korra and Ketu.

The trio of benders meandered through the mass of bodies, trying to glean any information they could as they made their way closer and closer to the stage. Most people seemed unaware of any captive benders, though more than a few of them did feel the need to comment that 'it's probably what they deserved.' Most of the conversations seemed to be queries on whether or not Amon would show up in person or speculations on what the Revelation was going to be.

Ketu had to admit, he was curious himself.

Despite how big this event was, the Equalist leadership had managed to keep a tight lid on any of the specifics. Some thought that it might be an announcement of a new network of chi-blocking academies. Many believed that it was going to be the 'revelation' that the Equalists were going to go public as a legitimate political party. While others proposed that Amon, himself, was going to reveal some sort of new anti-bending weapon. Whatever secret this 'Revelation' was, the whole world would know about it by tomorrow. There's no way that they could hope to keep this many people quiet.

Just as Korra, Ketu, and Mako got close enough to properly see the stage, all of the main lights went out, leaving only a dim illumination, just barely bright enough to see the person beside you. Just as quickly as they'd been extinguished the spotlights on the stage suddenly flared to life, drawing everyone's eye.

There was a momentary screeching noise as hidden speakers were turned on and calibrated before an unknown announcer took the mic. "Please welcome," he began enthusiastically as though this were some sort of Pro-bending game.

The sound of grinding gears could be heard as a huge trapdoor opened on the stage with light escaping from the hole. This was followed by the unmistakable hissing of hydraulics as a platform was raised from the floor below.

"Your hero, _your Savior_."

There were seven figures in a line on the platform, all of them had their heads bowed with their hands behind their backs. Five of them were dressed similarly to the goons that Korra, Mako, and Ketu had fought the night before, all of equal heights and build.

Just to stage-left of the center, standing to the side of the person in the middle, was a slightly taller man dressed in similar leather armor as the rest but with a small, metal pack of some sort strapped to his back with two handles sticking out just behind his shoulder blades. Also, unlike the others, this man wasn't wearing the same mask with glowing green goggles. The lower half of his face was exposed, revealing an almost comically long mustache that looked like the whiskers of a koi fish. However, it was the man in the center that everyone was focused on.

"Amon!" the announcer practically shouted in enthusiasm as he was met with frantic cheers and clapping from the crowd.

It spoke volumes of Amon's charisma that despite the fact he was standing in front of a 40-foot tall portrait of himself, as soon as the bone-white color of his mask was revealed, the man suddenly became the most imposing presence in a room of over a thousand. As Amon stepped up to the microphone stand, everyone, including the Avatar herself, waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say.

"My quest for equality began many years ago," Amon began as he took the microphone off the stand. "When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders. This made us _very_ easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father."

Amon began walking across the stage and looking out over the crowd, making sure that everyone knew that he was speaking to them all, giving each of them just enough of his attention to keep theirs.

Despite whatever his motives and actions were, Ketu couldn't deny it, the man really knew how to work a crowd.

"One day, my father confronted this man," Amon continued his story. "But when he did, that firebender took my family from me. Then…he took my face," he revealed with sadness. "I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since." He bowed his head ever so slightly and his voice held something that almost sounded like shame, embarrassment at his scarred appearance.

Amon was met with the sympathetic gasps sounds of understanding as he finished his story.

Ketu turned to see how Mako was. The two men's tragic stories were eerily similar, after all. However, Mako didn't seem to be at all affected by Amon's purported backstory, instead he seemed laser-focused, still likely trying to figure out what these people had done with his little brother.

Apparently ignorant of the three benders in his midst, Amon continued with his performance, "As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City."

This mention of the Avatar, the most powerful and revered of all benders, was met with jeers from the crowd. As predictable as their responses were, Ketu couldn't help it as he clenched his fist in anger.

What did these ignorant bigots _actually_ know about Korra? Nothing. Sure, she may be a bit rash and impatient. And yeah, she's still kind of naïve about the world outside of the Southern Water Tribe. But at the end of the day, all she really wants to do is help people, and she's willing to give her all to help even total strangers. Heck, that's why they were here right now! Korra had known Mako and Bolin for less than a week, and yet as soon as she heard that they needed help, she'd willingly walked right into enemy territory with no hesitation.

Honestly, it reminded Ketu of all the stories he'd heard about his grandparents, back when they were a part of the original Team Avatar during the old war. It was selfless actions like those that had made them all legends.

Ketu glanced to his left to see how Korra was doing. As the crowd continued to boo, she had her shoulders hunched as she pulled Mako's red scarf up to cover her face just a little more. Ketu placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which seemed to startle her somewhat as she jolted. Korra turned to him curiously, and Ketu gave her a reassuring smile, hoping she'd realized that he was trying to let her know that he had her back.

It must have worked because she smiled back at him as her shoulders seemed to relax a little. They both then turned their focus back to the stage.

"And if the Avatar was here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world, but she is wrong," Amon paused menacingly. "The only thing bending has brought to the world is suffering," he pointed to the crowd to make sure they were paying attention. "It has been the cause of _every_ war. In _every_ era."

Ketu rolled his eyes at the man's 'wisdom.'

Saying bending was the cause of all wars was like saying the only reason people argued was because they could talk. Humanity's greatest achievement has always been the numerous ways it discovered how to fight amongst itself. With or without bending, those wars would've still happened, the only thing that would've changed was how they were fought.

Meanwhile, Korra was practically shaking in anger. It made sense. After all, Korra had spent most of her life studying bending, in all its forms. Saying that bending was basically the root of all evil was probably the most insulting thing you could say to the young woman.

"But that is about to change," Amon continued. "I know you've been wondering, 'What is the Revelation?' You are about to get your answer," he paused for effect.

It seemed to have worked as Korra, Ketu, and Mako were totally focused on what the Equalist leader was about to say. It was, most likely, the reason why Bolin had been kidnapped and why they were here in the first place.

"Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world…and they have spoken to me," Amon revealed dramatically as he put his hand over his heart. "They say, 'The Avatar has failed humanity.'"

Korra scowled and clenched her fist yet again. Almost half of this guy's speech seemed to be nothing but hurling insults at her!

"That is why the spirits have chosen _me_ to usher in a new era of balance," Amon extolled as he seemingly unveiled 'his grand _destiny_.' "They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality."

The trio of benders then looked to one another in confusion. What sort of 'great power' could the 'spirits' have granted this man that would be able to level the playing field against benders?

"The power to take a person's bending away…_permanently_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next one will be out in 2 weeks (9/27). After that...well, I don't know. I've barely even started Chapter 21. Classes and work are keeping me pretty busy, and my days off are spent doing basically nothing but homework. I'm taking 2 8-week courses, so maybe after I'm done with those in October, I'll have some more free time. Once again, thanks for reading and staying interested.**

**-Ominous Out**


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